Guterres urges G20 to take lead on peace, climate and other global challenges

António Guterres was speaking to journalists on the eve of the opening of the G20 summit in the Brazilian city.

“I came to Rio with a simple message: G20 leaders must lead,” he said. “G20 countries – by definition – have enormous economic influence. They have enormous diplomatic power. They must use it to tackle major global problems.”

Mr. Guterres arrived in Rio after attending the UN COP29 climate conference taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan.

He stressed the need for countries to “run much faster to tackle fundamental common challenges” such as the climate crisis, raging conflicts, growing impunity, rising inequality and stalled progress in the fight against hunger and poverty.

Furthermore, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are overdue, new technologies offer unprecedented potential for both good and evil, and “our failure to address these and other challenges is eroding consumer confidence.” people in governments and institutions.”

He recalled that in September, UN Member States adopted the Future Compact to help strengthen multilateralism and advance the SDGs.

Mr. Guterres said “we must mobilize for peace” in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan.

“Peace everywhere requires actions based on the values ​​of the United Nations Charter, the rule of law and the principles of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of States,” he said.

Addressing the financial issue, the Secretary-General highlighted the situation of vulnerable countries which “face enormous headwinds and obstacles not of their making.”

They do not receive adequate support from the current international financial architecture, which he called “outdated, inefficient and unfair.”

He said the Future Compact calls for ambitious reforms to make the system more representative of today’s global economy and the needs of developing and vulnerable countries.

“This includes expanding the voice and representation of developing countries in international financial institutions,” he added.

In addition, the Compact provides for other measures such as substantially increasing the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, promoting more inclusive tax cooperation and exploring all innovative forms of financing.
“The international community expects the G20 to make these agreements a reality,” he said.

On climate, the Secretary-General expressed concern about the state of negotiations at COP29, noting that countries must agree on an ambitious climate finance target that meets the challenge facing developing countries.

This is crucial to building trust between developed and developing countries and encouraging the preparation of ambitious national climate plans next year, he explained.

“I will appeal to the sense of responsibility of all G20 countries. Now is the time for the world’s largest economies and largest emitters of greenhouse gases to lead by example. Failure is not an option,” he said.
Mr Guterres insisted that a positive outcome is still within reach, but will require leadership and compromise from the G20.

He warned that countries’ current climate policies are pushing the world toward a disastrous global temperature rise of 3.1 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, compared to the target of 1.5 degrees.

G20 countries are responsible for 80% of global emissions and “must adopt national climate plans that follow the guidance they agreed to last year,” he said.

The Secretary-General also outlined other measures needed, including for developed countries to meet their commitment to double adaptation financing. He also stressed the need to combat misinformation around climate change “ranging from outright denial to greenwashing to harassment of climate scientists.”

In this regard, the UN is launching the Global Initiative for Climate Change Information Integrity in collaboration with Brazil and the UN agency for education and science, UNESCO.

For his final point, the Secretary-General spoke about the Global Digital Compact adopted at the United Nations Futures Summit.

It includes the first universal agreement on artificial intelligence (AI) governance “that brings all countries to the table,” he said.

The Compact further calls for the creation of an independent international scientific panel on AI, a global dialogue on its governance within the UN, and innovative voluntary financing so that developing countries can build their capacities in terms of AI.