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UN Secretary General addresses the general debate of the 78th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 19 - 26 September 2023). This video is available in multiple languages. Click the settings ⚙️ button to change the language track. --------- The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, opened the High-level week of the General Assembly warning that the world “is becoming unhinged” and that is happening “at a time of chaotic transition.” Addressing Member States today (19 Sep), Guterres made a call to renew multilateral institutions, saying that “geopolitical tensions are rising”, “global challenges are mounting” and “we seem incapable of coming together to respond”. Guterres added, “We are inching ever closer to a Great Fracture in economic and financial systems and trade relations; one that threatens a single, open internet; with diverging strategies on technology and artificial intelligence; and potentially clashing security frameworks. It is high time to renew institutions based on 21st century economic and political realities – rooted in equity, solidarity and universality – anchored in the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.” The Secretary-General recognized the obstacles, saying “I have no illusions. Reforms are a question of power. I know there are many competing interests and agendas. But the alternative to reform is not the status quo. The alternative to reform is further fragmentation. It’s reform or rupture.” According to Guterres, “in the face of all these challenges and more, compromise has become a dirty word.” “Our world needs statesmanship, not gamesmanship and gridlock. As I told the G20, it is time for a global compromise. Politics is compromise. Diplomacy is compromise. Effective leadership is compromise,” said the UN chief. The Secretary-General also mentioned climate change, saying, “We have just survived the hottest days, hottest months, and hottest summer on the books. Behind every broken record are broken economies, broken lives and whole nations at the breaking point. Every continent, every region and every country is feeling the heat. But I’m not sure all leaders are feeling that heat. Actions are falling abysmally short.” For Guterres, “climate chaos is breaking new records, but we cannot afford the same old broken record of scapegoating and waiting for others to move first.” “And to all those working, marching and championing real climate action, I want you to know: You are on the right side of history. I’m with you. I won’t give up this fight of our lives,” added the UN chief. On gender equality, the Secretary-General said, “Just four women signed our founding document. One look around this room shows not enough has changed. “We, the Peoples” does not mean “'We, the men.'” He added, “In some countries, women and girls are punished for wearing too many clothes; in others, for wearing too few. Thanks to generations of women’s rights activists, times are changing. From sports fields to schools and public squares, girls and women are challenging the patriarchy -- and winning. I stand with them.” Guterres also mentioned the dangers of Artificial Intelligence, noting that when he referred to the issue in his General Assembly speech in 2017, only two other leaders even uttered the term. “Now AI is on everyone’s lips – a subject of both awe, and fear. Even some of those who developed generative AI are calling for greater regulation. But many of the dangers of digital technology are not looming. They are here,” the UN chief concluded. -------- The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote. The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. Currently made up of 193 Member States, the UN and its work are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter. The UN has evolved over the years to keep pace with a rapidly changing world. But one thing has stayed the same: it remains the one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity. General debate website: ---------------------------------------- مشاهدة هذا الفيديو باللغة العربية على موقع البث الشبكي للأمم المتحدة 请在联合国网络电视（UN Web TV）观看中文版视频 Regardez cette vidéo en français sur UN Web TV Vean este video en español en UN Web TV Смотрите это видео на русском на UN Web TV Screenshot credit: UN Photo/Cia Pak #UNGA #UnitedNations
