"Our world is entering a chaos era," warns United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, citing unprecedented Security Council divisions and inaction in a context of multiple escalating conflicts.
Government disregard and undermining of multilateralism, combined with a lack of accountability, alarm the Secretary-General. He highlights the Security Council, the main tool for world peace, as being stuck in its tracks due to deep-rooted geopolitical rifts when addressing his priorities for 2024 to the General Assembly.
"This is not the first time the Council has been divided, but it’s the worst. The current dysfunction is deeper and more dangerous," says Guterres.
During the Cold War, established mechanisms helped manage superpower relations. However, these mechanisms are missing in today’s multipolar world, opening the gates to chaos, he notes.
With a particular focus on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Guterres warns about a potential Israeli ground assault in Rafah. Thousands of displaced Palestinians crowd this southern area of the Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt.
“Such action would exponentially escalate what is already a humanitarian nightmare, with incalculable regional consequences,” he insists. Guterres calls for an immediate "humanitarian ceasefire" and the release of all hostages.
From Gaza to Ukraine, Sudan to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen to Myanmar, “global humanitarian needs are at a record level, but funding is not keeping pace,” he laments.
In this backdrop, Guterres urges global governments to use the upcoming ‘Future Summit’ in New York this September as an opportunity. He encourages world leaders to "shape multilateralism for the years ahead" during the event, which will run in parallel with the General Assembly.
