UN Secretary-General’s warns of global chaos amid Security Council stalemate
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns that if the world doesn’t act soon, it will enter an “age of chaos” due to the Security Council’s inability to address global issues
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a stern warning on Wednesday, stating that if the world does not act soon, it will be walking into “an age of chaos” due to the Security Council’s inability to address pressing global issues such as the Israel-Hamas conflict.
With the conflict in Gaza nearing its fifth month, Guterres sounded an alarm especially to highlight that if Israeli forces move into Rafah in the southern part of the city, saying that it could be catastrophic. He indicated that such an act would only aggravate the already horrendous humanitarian crisis and with far-reaching regional consequences.
The long-running campaign by the Israeli military against Hamas, initiated after the Oct. 7 attack, has been characterized by nonstop air strikes and ground invasion in Gaza Strip, which left more than one million people to flee their homes.
In his address to the UN General Assembly describing his priorities for 2024, Guterres demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages.
Along with dealing with the current emergency, Guterres promoted wider reforms within the Security Council and the international financial system. He singled out his upcoming “Summit of the Future” in September as a critical forum to address systemic malfunction that he termed “deeper and more dangerous” than ever before.
The Secretary-General commented on the deadlock within the Security Council, which he blamed for geopolitical divides that have rendered it incapable of resolving global peace and security issues. Contrasting sharply with the Cold War times, Guterres observed that there was no institutional framework to balance the strong countries’ relations in today’s multi-polarity.
Warning of the consequences of inaction, Guterres painted a grim picture of a world descending into chaos, characterized by unpredictability and impunity. His sobering assessment underscored the urgent need for concerted international efforts to address the escalating crises and prevent further destabilization on a global scale.
Source: AFP
