By UN Journal Kayla Lee “We’re here in Sevilla, Spain to change course,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told world leaders on June 30, calling on them to grasp a once-in-a-decade opportunity to close a $4 trillion financing gap facing developing countries to meet sustainable development goals – and build a better world for all. According to the UN News, António Guterres issued his clarion call noting that sustainable development powered by international cooperation, is now facing “massive headwinds.” Addressing the opening session of the 4th Financing for Development Conference (FFD4) i
By UN Journal Kayla Lee UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on June 18 that he remains “profoundly alarmed” by the ongoing military escalation between Israel and Iran, as the sides continued to trade airstrikes, the UN News reported. “I reiterate my call for immediate de-escalation leading to a ceasefire,” Mr. Guterres said in a statement in which he strongly appealled against any further internationalization of the conflict. “Any additional military interventions could have enormous consequences, not only for those involved but for the whole region and for international peace and secu
By UN Journal Kayla Lee | UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a message on the occasion of Africa Day on May 25, 2025. In the message, he said, “On Africa Day, we celebrate a continent rich in heritage, vibrant in diversity and remarkable in its contributions to our global community. Africa is home to the world’s youngest population and fast becoming a powerhouse in renewable energy and technological innovation. “Yet, Africa bears the scars of historic injustices. The legacies of slavery, colonialism, apartheid, and systemic racism still cast long shadows, and entrenched inequaliti
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo May 2 marks World Press Freedom Day and UN Secretary-General António Guterres is highlighting an uptick in violence faced by journalists covering environmental issues, which has made the profession increasingly dangerous, the UN News reported. The UN chief said journalists and media professionals “have a key role in informing and educating” the public about the world’s current environmental and climate emergency which stands as a threat to future generations. It is through this work that people can have a greater understanding of environmental factors affecting the wo
By UN Journal Kayla Lee UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for making 2025 “a new beginning” in his message for the New Year, issued on Dec. 30, 2024. Reflecting on 2024, Guterres stated that “hope has been hard to find”, with wars causing enormous pain, suffering and displacement, and inequalities and divisions fuelling tensions and mistrust., the UN News reported. “And today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat,” he said. The Secretary-General noted that the top 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the past decade. “This is climate breakd
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo UN Secretary-General António Guterres, standing alongside top officials in New York on Friday, underscored the essential need to bolster the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) across the Middle East amid continued attacks on its mandate, staff, premises and operations. Speaking at a pledging conference for the agency, the UN chief outlined the countless challenges facing Palestinian civilians in Gaza who are “forced to move like human pinballs across a landscape of destruction and death”. “Hopelessness is the greatest ally of instability,” he warned, stres
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Global governance in its present form is entrenching divisions and fuelling discontent, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told world leaders attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Feb. 16, the UN News reported. “Our world is facing existential challenges, but the global community is more fragmented and divided than at any time during the past 75 years,” he said, highlighting the need for “a global order that works for everyone”. Mr. Guterres said if countries fulfilled their obligations under the UN Charter, every person on Earth would live in peac