Los Angeles, California

09 June 2022

Secretary-General's Remarks at the Summit of the Americas

António Guterres

[All English version; scroll down for as delivered version]

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
 
President Biden, thank you very much for your invitation to be here today in Los Angeles.
 
Like the Americas itself, the City of Angels both embodies and celebrates the rich gift of diversity.
 
Today, it is more important than ever to bring the countries of the Americas closer together, and help deliver the prosperous, democratic and equitable societies that people expect.
 
However, the challenges loom large. 
 
It is essential to close the gap between the great potential of this region and the daily struggles faced by the people who call it home.
 
Across the region, we see countries that continue to be weighed down by a toxic brew of inequality, poverty, crime, insecurity and mistrust.
 
COVID-19 has hit this region hard, reversing hard-won development gains.
 
Climate change threatens to erase entire communities — from Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean, to the fires that have levelled communities here in California.
 
The global consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are rippling across a world already struggling with rising commodity prices, food insecurity and high levels of poverty and inequality.
 
Inflation is growing, debt is spiraling, and many countries lack the fiscal space and financial support to invest in recovery.
 
And some middle-income countries in desperate need are considered ineligible for support from international financial institutions.
 
This stems from an over-reliance on narrow measures of progress that count as production of richness the activities that are destroying our planet and ignore the vulnerabilities to external shocks — And I refer to Gross Domestic Product or the Gross Domestic Income that are far from translating the realities of our societies.
 
In this context, people see violence and insecurity that are driving them to flee their homes and their countries. 
 
They see increasing levels of gender violence.
 
More fundamentally, people risk losing their faith in their governments and in their institutions.
 
They see frequently crime and corruption going unpunished.
 
They see a broken global financial system that benefits the wealthy and punishes the poor.
 
They see lies, misinformation and hate speech going viral, sowing divisions, mistrust and hatred. 
 
And they hear the voices of democracy drowned out by rising authoritarian and nationalist sentiments, giving false promises of security and prosperity.

Excellencies,

This Summit provides an opportunity to address these challenges.

This includes rescuing the Sustainable Development Goals and investing in all the systems that support people — from health and decent work to social protection systems and vaccines for all.

It includes investments in quality education to all.

It includes reforming the global financial system, so all countries can access the financing and debt relief they need to invest in recovery.

It includes ending our addiction to fossil fuels, safeguarding biodiversity, and increasing financial support to the transition and adaptation of developing countries.  

It includes a new look at migration, and ensuring that people are welcomed and protected, and given the safety, dignity and support that all people deserve, in keeping with the Global Compact for Migration. We need enhanced cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination, with human rights at its core.  

Justice systems that are impartial and impervious to corruption.

New efforts to tackle crime and violence.  

Democratic systems that protect human rights defenders and truly reflect the voice of the people.

And a renewed multilateralism that can gather all nations of the world together in search of common solutions to the common challenges we face.

My friends,

Every step of the way, you can count on the steadfast support of the United Nations.

Let’s work together to support people from across the hemispheric family.

Let’s live up to the Americas’ full promise and potential.

Thank you.

********************************************************************************

[As delivered version]

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
 
President Biden, thank you very much for your invitation to be here today in Los Angeles.
 
Like the Americas itself, the City of Angels both embodies and celebrates the rich gift of diversity.
 
Today, it is more important than ever to bring the countries of the Americas closer together, and help deliver the prosperous, democratic and equitable societies that people expect.
 
However, the challenges loom large. 
 
It is essential to close the gap between the great potential of this region and the daily struggles faced by the people who call it home.
 
Across the region, we see countries that continue to be weighed down by a toxic brew of inequality, poverty, crime, insecurity and mistrust.
 
COVID-19 has hit this region hard, reversing hard-won development gains.
 
Climate change threatens to erase entire communities — from Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean, to the fires that have levelled communities here in California.
 
The global consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are rippling across a world already struggling with rising commodity prices, food insecurity and high levels of poverty and inequality.
 
Inflation is growing, debt is spiraling, and many countries lack the fiscal space and financial support to invest in recovery.
 
And some middle-income countries in desperate need are considered ineligible for support from international financial institutions.
 
This stems from an over-reliance on narrow measures of progress that count as production of richness the activities that are destroying our planet and ignore the vulnerabilities to external shocks — And I refer to Gross Domestic Product or the Gross Domestic Income that are far from translating the realities of our societies.
 
In this context, people see violence and insecurity that are driving them to flee their homes and their countries. 
 
They see increasing levels of gender violence.
 
More fundamentally, people risk losing their faith in their governments and in their institutions.
 
They see frequently crime and corruption going unpunished.
 
They see a broken global financial system that benefits the wealthy and punishes the poor.
 
They see lies, misinformation and hate speech going viral, sowing divisions, mistrust and hatred. 
 
And they hear the voices of democracy drowned out by rising authoritarian and nationalist sentiments, giving false promises of security and prosperity.
 
Excelencias:
 
Esta Cumbre ofrece la oportunidad de hacer frente a estos desafíos. 
 
Esto implica rescatar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible e invertir en todos los sistemas que apoyan a las personas, desde la salud y el trabajo decente hasta los sistemas de protección social y las vacunas para todos.
 
Implica invertir en educación de calidad para todas y todos.
 
Implica reformar el sistema financiero mundial para que todos los países puedan acceder a la financiación y al alivio de la deuda que necesitan para invertir en la recuperación.
 
Implica poner fin a nuestra dependencia de los combustibles fósiles, salvaguardar la biodiversidad, y aumentar el apoyo financiero a la transición y a la adaptación de los países en desarrollo.
 
Implica una nueva mirada sobre la migración y garantizar que las personas sean acogidas y protegidas y que se les ofrezca la seguridad, la dignidad y el apoyo que todos merecemos, de acuerdo con el Pacto Mundial para la Migración. Necesitamos una mayor cooperación entre los países de origen, tránsito y destino, con los derechos humanos como elemento central.

Sistemas de justicia imparciales e impermeables a la corrupción.
 
Nuevos esfuerzos para hacer frente al crimen y a la violencia.
 
Sistemas democráticos que protejan a los defensores de los derechos humanos y reflejen realmente la voz del pueblo.
 
Y un multilateralismo renovado que pueda reunir a todas las naciones del mundo en busca de soluciones comunes a los retos comunes que enfrentamos.

Queridas y queridos amigos:
 
En cada paso que den en este camino, pueden contar con el firme apoyo de las Naciones Unidas. 
 
Trabajaremos juntos para apoyar a las personas de toda la familia hemisférica.
 
Estemos a la altura del potencial y de las aspiraciones de las Américas.
 
Muchas gracias.