New York, Sept 23 (V7N) – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres opened the high-level debate at the 80th UN General Assembly with a stark warning about the world’s overlapping crises, ranging from wars and humanitarian emergencies to climate breakdown. He urged global leaders to make critical choices about “what kind of world we choose to build together.”

Marking the UN’s 80th anniversary, Guterres recalled its founding after World War Two as a “practical strategy for the survival of humanity.” “Eighty years on, we confront again the question our founders faced—only more urgent, more intertwined, more unforgiving,” he said.

Guterres described a world plagued by violence, hunger, disinformation, and environmental disasters. He warned that the “pillars of peace and progress are buckling under the weight of impunity, inequality and indifference.” Highlighting military invasions, bombed cities, and rising seas, he called for decisive action to protect human lives and social stability.

The Secretary-General emphasized the UN’s indispensable role as a moral compass, a force for peace, a guardian of international law, and a lifeline for those in crisis. He argued that global challenges—from pandemics to climate change—cannot be addressed by individual countries alone, stressing that multilateral cooperation is essential.

Guterres outlined five critical choices for governments: prioritizing peace over war, protecting human dignity and rights, ensuring climate justice, governing technology responsibly, and strengthening the UN with adequate funding and adaptation to modern crises. He criticized global spending priorities, noting that “for every dollar invested in building peace, the world spends $750 on weapons of war.”

Concluding on a personal note, Guterres reflected on growing up under Portugal’s dictatorship, emphasizing that real power comes from shared resolve to uphold human dignity. “In a world of many choices, there is one choice we must never make: the choice to give up. We must never give up. That is my promise to you,” he said.

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