Human dignity will be “the core of my work,” says UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who took office on 1 January 2017. He believes the world body is uniquely placed to overcome global challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Like his predecessor Ban Ki-moon, Mr. Guterres is a great supporter of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which outline a universal, integrated and transformative vision for a better world.
UN chief lauds Dominica’s vision to become first climate-resilient nation after recent devastation
The category-5 storm made landfall on 18 September, thrashing the country with extreme winds and rain. It left people without electricity and water, destroyed homes and health clinics and isolated communities on the mountainous island.
In hurricane-stricken Barbuda, UN chief urges global solidarity, accelerated climate action
“I have just witnessed a level of devastation that I have never seen in my life,” Mr. Guterres told a press conference following a visit to storm-battered Barbuda.
Secretary-General’s remarks at press conference in Dominica
"There must be new financial instruments, bonds of different natures, linked mainly to the buildup of resilience," he said.
Secretary-General’s remarks at press conference in Antigua-and-Barbuda
"We have now hurricanes and storms with a much higher frequency and a much higher intensity," he said.
UN chief urges world to implement Paris Agreement ‘with greater ambition’
Ahead of a trip to the storm-ravaged Caribbean, the UN Secretary-General urged all countries to implement the landmark climate accord.
Secretary-General’s remarks on recent Caribbean hurricanes
"The United Nations will continue to help countries in the Caribbean to strengthen disaster preparedness, working closely with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency," he said.
‘Time to stamp out human trafficking,’ says Guterres; UN pledges action to eradicate ‘heinous crime’
With tens of millions of human trafficking victims worldwide, “now is the time to stand together and stamp out this abominable practice,” Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres today told a high-level meeting at which Member States adopted a political [...]