Secretary-General António Guterres urged the international community to continue pushing for a full ceasefire and the release of all hostages in Gaza, and “to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing” in the enclave, in a speech in New York. He was addressing the opening of the latest session of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, which met to elect a new bureau and adopt a programme of work for the year. The UN chief spoke in the wake of comments made by United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday night in the White House, who suggested the US could “take over” the Gaza Strip, calling on Palestinians living there to leave.

Hate continues to grow at an alarming speed, and the world must do more to fight growing antisemitism the UN Secretary-General said, honouring the victims of the Holocaust and those who survived the Nazi death camps. More than 15 months on from the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas in Israel, António Guterres said the UN will continue doing its “utmost to ensure it leads to the release of all hostages – since the beginning we have asked for the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages – and to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza”.

The world’s political and business elite present in Davos faced an uncompromising address from UN chief António Guterres as he rounded on a lack of multilateral collaboration in an “increasingly rudderless world” at risk from two existential dangers: climate change and unregulated Artificial Intelligence (AI). Mr. Guterres was speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, the exclusive event held high in the Swiss Alps where senior politicians, Heads of State and CEOs of some of the world’s biggest and most influential companies rub shoulders.

With the Middle East undergoing “a period of profound transformation”, the international community must support efforts towards more justice, dignity, human rights and peace in the region, the UN Secretary-General told the Security Council. António Guterres addressed the Council’s first quarterly debate on the Middle East for the year, held against the backdrop of Sunday’s temporary ceasefire in Gaza, the end of hostilities in Lebanon sparked by the war, and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. “We have a responsibility to help make sure the people of the Middle East come out of this turbulent period with peace, dignity and a horizon of hope grounded in action,” he said.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed optimism for Lebanon's future as he wrapped up a two-day solidarity visit with a call on the new government, the Lebanese people, and international community to “make the most of this atmosphere of opportunity”. “A window has opened paving the way for a new era of institutional stability, a State fully able to protect its citizens, and a system that would allow the tremendous potential of the Lebanese people to flourish,” Mr. Guterres told reporters in Beirut. The UN chief met with newly elected President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, noting a hopeful atmosphere despite significant challenges ahead.