Inequality and the climate crisis are addressed by the UN Secretary General.

Observing that cooperation is essential to overcoming the issues, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres asserts that the world has the power to look for solutions to the climate crisis and growing inequality.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Guterres noted that as the world’s population faced significant problems for which there is a potential for global cooperation, divisions were widening and geopolitical tensions were rising.

Mr. Guterres made this statement while speaking to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council, the largest regional security organization in the world in terms of landmass and population.

Along with Iran, the SCO now includes China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Since 2010, the UN has had a cooperation agreement with the SCO, which focuses on Asia and collaborates with numerous UN agencies.

India is hosting the summit this year via videoconference.

The UN Secretary-General informed Member States that growing divisions had been exacerbated by disparate national and reasonable responses to international crises, disagreements over security threats, the COVID’s effects, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But the only way to address the world’s problems today—from the climate crisis to rising inequality and the control of new technologies—is through dialogue and cooperation. And working together is the only way that can happen.

He listed three key areas where he thinks Member States could work together to find solutions.

The climate crisis comes first. We are headed for disaster unless humanity comes together. We must work together and move quickly, he said.

In support of the support for emerging economies, he cited his Climate Solidarity Pact, which is aimed at major carbon emitters and developing nations.

He emphasized that “climate action is the fight of our lives” and that “SCO members have an important role to play.”

He continued by saying that as the world “completely unprepared” sleepwalks into the new tech era, solutions must be forthcoming.

Our capacity to responsibly develop and regulate the industry and companies leading it “are falling far behind” in the areas of artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, and bioengineering.

He mentioned the UN’s proposed Global Digital Compact, which would bring together governments, regional organizations, the private sector, and civil society to help forge an international consensus on the rules.

He announced the formation of a new UN High-Level Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence.
He continued, “I am open to any initiative by Member States to establish a global agency for AI.

“SCO members are leaders in many of these fields on a global scale, and we depend on your participation and support.”

Thirdly, he emphasized the deterioration of trust within and between nations, which has led to an increase in inequality.

The pandemic only made it worse while consuming funds that could have been used for climate action and sustainable development and burdening developing economies with excessive debt and interest payments.

“Reducing globalization is not the answer to unjust globalization. To lessen injustice, that is.

He urged governments to work for equitable globalization, climate justice, and global financial reforms that would balance and bring equity to the Security Council and the Bretton Woods institutions.

“We are advocating for significant changes to global frameworks in order to better reflect and respond to the needs of emerging and developing economies.

Additionally, I’m urging for an immediate SDG stimulus to boost the economy’s liquidity, ease the debt on developing nations, and restart the 2030 Agenda.

He claimed that social protection and employment needed to be given top priority at the national level. A new social contract must be built on respect “for all human rights,”

He claimed that the SCO is well positioned to promote Eurasia’s peace and security and combat violent extremism and terrorism.

Following the Taliban takeover in 2021, which restored religious authoritarianism and severely weakened women’s rights, he applauded the commitment of Afghanistan’s neighbors to a peaceful and united Afghanistan “with an inclusive broad-based Government”.

“A Government that will safeguard the rights of all its people, particularly women and girls, and prevent the country from becoming a hub for terrorism and violent extremism,” he said, was what Afghans needed.