"We must never lose sight of hope," Guterres said. "And we will work to lift the lid on that hope through action. To make it real, to help it spread."
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for action together to tackle intertwined and unprecedented challenges amid the turmoil of the world.
"It is understandable to get overwhelmed by the turmoil of our world. But as we look to the year ahead, we must never lose sight of progress and potential. And there are signs of hope," Guterres said in remarks on 2025 priorities at the UN General Assembly plenary meeting.
"Our actions, or inactions, have unleashed a modern-day Pandora's box of ills," he said. "Four of ills stand out because they represent, at best, threats that could disrupt every aspect of our agenda and, at worst, upend our very existence -- runaway conflicts, rampant inequalities, the raging climate crisis, and out-of-control technology."
The UN chief highlighted that from the Gaza Strip, Ukraine, Sudan, to Yemen, conflicts are multiplying, becoming messier and deadlier, and "deepening geopolitical divisions and mistrust are adding fuel to the fire," with the nuclear threat at its highest in decades.
Guterres reiterated his appeal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, urging everybody to keep working for world peace.
Noting that five years to 2030, less than one-fifth of the targets are on course, aggravated by a 4 trillion U.S. dollars annual financing gap, he emphasized the need to accelerate action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
"Acceleration means focusing on high-impact areas like poverty eradication, food security, quality education for all, social protection, universal health coverage, energy access, digitalization and reducing climate impacts," Guterres said.
Guterres also called for meaningful action to help countries in or near debt distress, so that they have more fiscal space to invest in the SDGs.
The UN chief urged governments to work harder in the fight against the climate crisis and shift collective efforts into overdrive and deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement. "The G20 must lead, given the scale of their emissions," he added.
The world body is assisting nearly 100 developing countries with their climate action plans ahead of the pivotal COP30 in Brazil later this year, he said.
Furthermore, the secretary-general said the technology revolution offers "unprecedented opportunities" but also demands careful stewardship, urging the General Assembly to establish the Independent International Scientific Panel on artificial intelligence (AI) and initiate the process for the Global Dialogue on AI Governance this year.
"We must never lose sight of hope," Guterres expressed cautious optimism for the year ahead. "And we will work to lift the lid on that hope through action. To make it real, to help it spread."
With the United Nations embracing its 80th anniversary this year, "let's build the more peaceful, just and prosperous world that we know -- despite everything -- is within reach," he said. ■