New York, Jan. 21 (BNA): With the start of his second term as Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres said today, Thursday, that the world is worse in many ways than it was five years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis. And geopolitical tensions fueling conflicts are everywhere — but unlike US President Joe Biden, he believes Russia will not invade Ukraine.
Guterres said in an interview with the Associated Press that the Appeal for Peace he issued on his first day in the top office of the United Nations on January 1, 2017, and his priorities in his first term to try to prevent conflict and address global inequality, the COVID-19 crisis and global warming have not changed.
“The Secretary-General of the United Nations has no authority,” Guterres said. “We can influence. I can persuade. I can mediate, but I have no power.”
Before becoming Secretary of the United Nations, Guterres said he envisioned the position as “an advocate, mediator, bridge-builder and honest mediator to help find solutions that benefit all concerned.” These are things I “have to do every day,” Thursday said.
For example, the Secretary-General said this week that he had spoken to African Union envoy Olusegun Obasanjo, twice with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and once with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in his attempt to stop hostilities in Ethiopia between the government. and troops in the besieged Tigray region.
“I hope we are in a position where it will soon be possible to stop hostilities and that is where I focus most of my efforts,” Guterres said.
As another example, Guterres said he also made a phone call to try to convince Malian military leaders who had delayed elections scheduled for next month until 2026 to cut back on the schedule.
He said he had spoken to Mali’s military ruler, President Assim Gueta, three presidents from the 15-nation West African regional group, the Algerian prime minister and the leader of the African Union about “how to make sure that in Mali, there is an acceptable calendar for transition to civilian government.” “.
Guterres said he hoped Mali’s military leaders would understand that they need to accept a “reasonable period” before the elections. The Secretary-General believes that the vote should take place in a “relatively short period of time”, and said: “I have made all my efforts to create the conditions to bridge this divide and allow the Economic Community of West African States and the Government of Mali to reach a solution with an acceptable delay in the elections.”
Guterres said the UN Security Council, which has the power to uphold international peace and security, including by imposing sanctions and ordering military action, is divided, particularly its five permanent members with veto power.
Russia and China are often at odds with the United States, Britain and France on major issues, including Thursday over new sanctions against North Korea.
On the question at the forefront of every country now—whether Russia, which has amassed 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, would invade the former Soviet republic—Guterres said, “I don’t think Russia will invade Ukraine, and I hope my belief is correct.”
What makes him think that Moscow won’t invade when Biden and others think Russian President Vladimir Putin will send troops to Ukraine?
“Because I don’t believe in a military solution to existing problems, I think the most rational way to solve those problems is through diplomacy and by engaging in serious dialogue,” Guterres said, stressing that the invasion would have “horrific” consequences.
“We have of course been in contact” with senior officials of Russia, said the secretary-general, even though the United Nations is not directly involved in the Ukraine crisis.
Guterres is due to address the 193 UN member states at the General Assembly on Friday about his priorities for 2022.
He identified three immediate priorities that “deeply concern me”: a lack of vaccinations in large parts of the world, especially in Africa; the need to cut emissions by 45% in this decade to try to meet the international goal of trying to limit future global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F); And the world’s “too unfair” financial situation that favors rich countries.
Guterres said that many developing countries have too few resources, are growing high debt and pay much higher interest rates than in Europe or North America, have no vaccines, and are disproportionately suffering from the effects of climate change.
“We need a deep reform of our international financial system in order to make sure there is more equity in the way there are resources to allow recovery (from COVID-19) everywhere,” he said.
On another major issue, Guterres stressed that the Afghan people cannot be collectively punished for “the wrong things the Taliban have done,” so it is necessary to dramatically increase humanitarian aid “because Afghans are in a desperate situation with the risk of dying from starvation” and disease in a cold winter with COVID-19.
“More than half of the population is in dire need of humanitarian aid,” he said, and money must be injected into the economy to ensure Afghan banks can operate and pay the salaries of doctors, teachers, engineers and other workers to prevent the country’s economic collapse.
The Secretary-General said he will attend the Beijing Olympics in February “which is not a political act” but “to be present when the whole world comes together for good – for a peaceful message”.
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