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🇺🇳 UN Secretary-General Addresses United Nations General Debate, 80th Session | #UNGA — Transcript

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0:00I now give the floor to the Secretary
0:03General of the United Nations, His
0:06Excellency Antonio Guterish.
0:45Please could you take your seats?
0:53Let me begin with two words we have not
0:57been able to say often enough in this
1:00all.
1:02Madame Presidents,
1:15excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
1:18eight years ago, in a world scorched by
1:21war, leaders made a choice. Cooperation
1:25over chaos, law over lawlessness, peace
1:30over conflict. And that choice gave
1:33birth to the United Nations, not as a
1:36dream for perfection, but as a practical
1:38strategy for the survival of humanity.
1:43Many of our founders had seen firsthand
1:46the hell of the death camps and the
1:49terror of war.
1:51They knew that true leadership meant
1:53creating a system to prevent the replay
1:57of those horrors. A firewall against the
2:01flames of conflict and World War II. A
2:05forum for sovereign states to pursue
2:08dialogue and cooperation
2:10and a concrete affirmation of an
2:13essential human truth. We are all in
2:16this together.
2:18And this general assembly all is the
2:21heartbeat of that truce.
2:24It is why for decades world leaders have
2:26come to this one of a kind podium.
2:30It is why you are here today.
2:34Because at its best the United Nations
2:36is more than a meeting place. It's a
2:39moral compass, a force for peace and
2:42peacekeeping, a guardian of
2:45international law, a catalyst for
2:48sustainable development, a lifeline for
2:51people in crisis, a lighthouse for human
2:54rights, and the center that transforms
2:57your decisions, the decisions of member
3:00states into action.
3:0380 years on, we confront again the
3:06question our founders faced. only more
3:09urgent, more intertwined, more
3:12unforgiving.
3:14What kind of world do we choose to build
3:17together?
3:19Excellencies,
3:21we have our work cut out for us as our
3:24ability to carry out that work is being
3:28cut from us.
3:30We have entered in an age of reckless
3:32disruption and relentless human
3:34suffering.
3:36Look around. The principles of the
3:39United Nations that you have established
3:42are under the siege. Listen, the pillars
3:46of peace and progress are buckling under
3:49the weight of impunity, inequality, and
3:52indifference.
3:54Sovereign nations invaded.
3:57Hunger weaponized. Truce silence. Rising
4:02smoke from bombed out cities. Rising
4:05anger in fractured societies. Rising
4:09seas, swallowing coastlines.
4:12Each one a warning. Each one a question.
4:16What kind of world will we choose? A
4:19world of raw power or a world of laws?
4:23A world that is a scramble for
4:25self-interest
4:27or a world where nations come together?
4:30A world where might makes right or a
4:33world of rights for all.
4:36Excellencies,
4:38our world is becoming increasingly
4:40multipolar
4:42and this is positive reflecting a more
4:45diverse dynamic global landscape.
4:49But multipolarity
4:51without effective multilateral
4:53institutions can court cows as Europe
4:57has learned the hard way resulting in
5:01World War I. It was multipolar but there
5:05was no multi-ateral institutions.
5:09So let's be clear, international
5:12cooperation is not naivity. It is
5:14hard-headed pragmatism.
5:17In a world where there's leap borders,
5:19isolation is an illusion. No country can
5:23stop a pandemic alone. No army can halt
5:27rising temperatures. No algorithm can
5:30reveal trust once it is broken. These
5:33are global stress tests of our system,
5:36our solidarity, and our resolve.
5:39I'm convinced we can pass these tests
5:42and we must because people everywhere
5:45are demanding something better and we
5:48owe them a system worthy of their trust
5:51and the future worthy of their dreams.
5:55And so we must make the choice, a
5:58nective choice to reaffirm the
6:01imperative of international law, to
6:04reassert the centrality of
6:06multilateralism,
6:08to reinforce justice and human rights,
6:11and to recommmit to the principles that
6:14gave rise to our organization
6:18and to the promise contained in its
6:20first words. We the peoples
6:24Excellencies,
6:26the choices we face are not part of an
6:28ideological debate. They are a matter of
6:31life and death for millions. As I scan
6:35the global landscape, we must make five
6:38critical choices.
6:41First, we must choose peace rooted in
6:44international law.
6:46Peace is our first obligation. Yet
6:49today, wars rage with a barbarity we
6:52vote never to allow.
6:55Too often the charter is brandished when
6:58convenient and trampled when not. But
7:02the charter is not optional. It is our
7:04foundation. And when the foundation
7:07cracks, everything built upon fractures.
7:11Around the world, we see countries
7:14acting as if the rules don't apply to
7:16them. We see humans treated as less than
7:19human and we must call it out. Impunity
7:24is the mother of chaos and it has
7:27spawned some of the most atrocious
7:29conflicts of our times. In Sudan,
7:34civilians are being slaughtered,
7:36starved, and silenced.
7:38Women and girls face unspeakable
7:40violence.
7:42There is no military solution. I urge
7:46all parties, including those in this
7:48hall, and the external support that is
7:52fueling this bloodshed,
7:54push to protect civilians because the
7:57Sudin people deserves peace, dignity,
8:00and hope.
8:02In Ukraine, relentless violence
8:05continues to kill civilians, destroy
8:08civilian infrastructure,
8:10and threaten global peace and security.
8:13I commend recent diplomatic efforts by
8:15the United States and others. We must
8:18work for a full ceasefire and a just
8:21lasting peace in accordance with the
8:23charter, UN resolutions and
8:26international law.
8:28In Gaza, the horrors are approaching a
8:32third monstrous year. They are the
8:35result of decisions that defy basic
8:38humanity.
8:39The scale of death and destruction are
8:42beyond any other conflict in my years as
8:45secretary general.
8:47The International Court of Justice has
8:50issued legally binding provisional
8:52measures in the case named application
8:55of the convention on the prevention and
8:58punishment of the crime of genocide in
9:00the Gaza Strip.
9:03Since then, a famine has been declared
9:06and the killing has intensified.
9:09The measures stipulated by the ICJ must
9:12be implemented fully and immediately.
9:25Nothing can justify the horrific Amas
9:29terror attacks of October 7 and the
9:31taking of hostages, both of which I have
9:34repeatedly condemned.
9:36and nothing can justify the collective
9:39punishment of the Palestinian people and
9:42the systematic destruction of Gaza.
9:46We know what is needed. Permanent
9:48ceasefire now. All the hostages released
9:52now. Full humanitarian access now. And
9:57we must not relent in the only viable
10:00answer to sustainable Middle East peace.
10:03a two-state solution as so eloquently
10:06reaffirmed yesterday.
10:09We must urgently reverse dangerous
10:11trends on the ground. Relentless settler
10:14expansion and violence and the looming
10:17threat of annexation must stop.
10:21Everywhere from 80 to Yemen to Myanmar
10:24and the SE and beyond, we must p choose
10:28peace anchored in international law.
10:31The past year has brought glimmers of
10:33hope, including the ceasefire between
10:36Cambodia and Thailand and the agreement
10:39between Azeran and Armenia brokered by
10:41the United States. But far too many
10:44crisis continue unchecked.
10:47Impunity prevails. Lawlessness is a
10:50contagion. It invites mayhem,
10:53accelerates terror, and risks a nuclear
10:56free-for-all.
10:58When accountability shrinks, graveyards
11:01grow. When UN staff and facilities are
11:04attacked, violating legal obligations,
11:08so too is the core of our ability to
11:11serve and deliver.
11:13The Security Council must live up to its
11:16responsibilities.
11:18It must be more representative, more
11:20transparent, and more effective.
11:24And beyond crisis response, we must
11:26tackle the injustices that ignite
11:28conflict, exclusion, inequality,
11:32impunity, and corruption.
11:35The serious way to silence the guns is
11:38to raise the volume for justice.
11:41Real security is born of fairness and
11:44opportunity for all.
11:50Excellences, this leads me to my second
11:52point. We must choose human dignity and
11:56human rights.
11:58Human rights are not an ornament of
12:00peace. They're its bedrock.
12:03Human rights, economic, social,
12:06cultural, political, and civil are
12:09universal, indivisible, and
12:11interdependent.
12:14Choosing rights means more than words.
12:18It means choosing justice over silence.
12:21It means protecting freedom and civic
12:23space, advancing equality for women and
12:27girls, confronting racism and
12:30discrimination in all its forms.
12:34Protecting human rights defenders,
12:36journalists, and freedom of speech.
12:40and upholding the rights of refugees and
12:42migrants so that mobility is safe and in
12:45accordance with international law.
12:49Human rights are a daily battle online
12:53and offline.
12:54They require political will.
12:58But dignity is not only about the
13:00protection of rights.
13:02It is about rights fulfilled through
13:06inclusive and resilient development.
13:10Rights that put an end to poverty and
13:13hunger.
13:14Rights that open doors to education,
13:17health and opportunity.
13:20The sustainable development goals are
13:22our shared road map for achieving these
13:25rights.
13:27But in order to make progress down this
13:29road, we need fuel.
13:32And that fuel is finance.
13:35We've seen what development done right
13:37can deliver. In the past decade,
13:41millions more have gained access to
13:43electricity.
13:46Clean cooking solutions and to the
13:49internet. Child marriage is in retreat.
13:53Women's representation is growing, but
13:56cuts to aid are wreaking havoc.
14:01They are a death sentence for many,
14:07for so many more,
14:09a stolen future.
14:11This is the great paradox of our time.
14:15We have the solutions, but we are
14:17siphoning off the fuel that would make
14:20it possible to make progress.
14:22To choose dignity, we must choose
14:24financial justice and solidarity.
14:28We need to reform the international
14:30financial architecture so that it drives
14:33development for all
14:37with bigger and bolder multilateral
14:40development banks. lending more
14:43and mobilizing more private capital for
14:48developing countries with faster and
14:51fairer debt relief mechanisms. Helping
14:54every country in crisis, including
14:57middle inome countries.
15:00Protecting natural resources by tackling
15:04illicit financial flows and abusive tax
15:07practices that rob societies of their
15:09future.
15:11and global financial institutions that
15:14represent today's world with far greater
15:17participation of developing countries
15:23in terms of their composition and their
15:25decision-making. So let us choose a
15:28global economy that works for everyone,
15:31men and women. Let us choose human
15:34rights and dignity and let us equip
15:38ourselves with the means to ensure a
15:42transition for people and the planet.
15:45Excellencies, this brings me to the
15:47third choice. We must choose climate
15:50justice.
15:52The climate crisis is accelerating,
15:55but so are the solutions.
15:58The clean energy future is no longer a
16:01distant promise.
16:03It's already here. No government,
16:06industry, or special interest can stop
16:09it.
16:11But some are trying,
16:14hurting economies,
16:16locking in higher prices, and
16:19squandering a historic opportunity.
16:24is fossil fuels are a losing bet. Last
16:29year, almost all new power capacity came
16:32from renewables and investment is
16:35charging.
16:36Renewables are the cheapest and fastest
16:39source of new power. They create jobs,
16:42drive growth, shield economies from
16:45volatile oil and gas markets, connect
16:48the unconnected, and can free us from
16:50the tyranny of fossil fuels.
16:53But not at today's pace. Clean energy
16:57investment remains uneven.
17:0021st century grids and storage are not
17:03rolling out fast enough. And public
17:06subsidies taking from taxpayer money
17:10still flow to fossil fuels over clean
17:12energy by a factor of 9 to one.
17:16Meanwhile, emissions, temperatures, and
17:20disasters keep rising. and those least
17:23responsible suffer the most.
17:27Science says limiting global temperature
17:29rise to 1.5 degrees by the end of this
17:32century is still possible, but the
17:34window is closing.
17:37The International Court of Justice has
17:40affirmed the legal obligation of states.
17:43We must step up action and ambition
17:47especially to strengthen national
17:49climate plans.
17:51Tomorrow I will welcome leaders to
17:53announce new targets. The G20, the
17:56biggest emitters must lead, guided by
17:59common but differentiated
18:01responsibilities.
18:03that all countries must step up and do
18:06more as we head to the UN climate
18:08conference in Brazil
18:11by accelerating action in energy forests
18:14methane and industrial decarbonization
18:17by defining a credible roadmap to
18:20mobilize 1.3 trillion US dollars
18:22annually in climate finance by 2035 for
18:26developing countries by supporting just
18:30transitions by doubling finance for
18:32adapt ation to at least 40 billion US
18:35dollars this year and rapidly deploying
18:38proven tools to unlock billions more in
18:42concessional finance and by capitalizing
18:45the loss and damage fund with
18:48significant contributions.
18:51All of these requires governments,
18:53international financial institutions,
18:55philanthropies, civil society, and the
18:58private sector to work together to
19:01provide fiscal space to developing
19:03countries and unlock new innovative
19:05sources of finance at scale, including
19:09solidarity levies on high emitting
19:11sectors and dep swaps. We have the
19:15solutions and tools, but we must choose
19:19climate justice and climate action.
19:24First, we must choose to put technology
19:27at the surface of humanity.
19:31Artificial intelligence is rewriting
19:33human existence in real time,
19:35transforming how we learn, work,
19:38communicate, and what we can trust. And
19:41the question is not how to stop it, but
19:43how to steer it for the greater good.
19:47Technology must be our servant, not our
19:50master. It must promote human rights,
19:53human dignity, and human agency.
19:56Yet today, AI's advancement in outpacing
19:59regulation and responsibility
20:02and is concentrated in a few hands. And
20:06the risks are expanding to new frontiers
20:08from biotech to autonomous weapons.
20:12We are witnessing the rise of tools for
20:15mass surveillance, mass social control,
20:18mass disruption, and even mass
20:20destruction.
20:22Tools that can drain energy, strain
20:24ecosystems, and intensify the race for
20:27critical minerals, potentially stalking
20:30instability and conflict.
20:33Yet these technologies remain largely
20:36ungoverned.
20:38We need universal guard rails and common
20:40standards across platforms.
20:43No company should be above the law. No
20:47machines should decide who lives or
20:49dies. No system should be deployed
20:52without transparency, safety, and
20:55accountability.
20:57Last month, this assembly took a
20:59historic step, establishing an
21:01independent international scientific
21:04panel on AI and an annual global
21:07dialogue on AI governance. Two new
21:10pillars of a shared architecture,
21:13connecting science with policy to bring
21:16clarity and foresight, enabling
21:18innovation to flourish while advancing
21:21our values and our rights and ensuring
21:25governments, companies, and civil
21:27society can help shape common norms. We
21:31must build on these mechanisms and close
21:34the capacity gap. All countries must be
21:38able to design and develop AI, not just
21:41to consume it. I have proposed voluntary
21:45financing options to build AI computing
21:48power data and skills in developing
21:51nations.
21:52No country should be locked out of the
21:55digital future or locked into systems it
21:59cannot shape or trust. And governments
22:02must lead with vision and companies must
22:06act with responsibility.
22:09And we the international community must
22:12ensure that technology lifts up
22:15humanity.
22:17So let us choose cooperation over
22:20fragmentation,
22:21ethics over expediency, and transparency
22:25over opacity.
22:27Technology will not wait for us, but we
22:31can still choose what it serves. So, let
22:34us choose wisely.
22:37Fifth, and finally, to meet all these
22:40goals, we must choose to strengthen the
22:43United Nations for the 21st century.
22:46The forces shaking our world are also
22:49testing the foundations of the United
22:51Nations system.
22:53We are being hit by rising geopolitical
22:56tensions and divisions, chronic
22:58uncertainty, and mounting financial
23:01strain.
23:03But those who depend on the United
23:04Nations must not be made to bear the
23:07cost. Especially now when for every
23:11dollar invested to support our core work
23:13to build peace, the world spends $750 on
23:18weapons of war. This is not only
23:21unsustainable,
23:22it is indefensible.
23:25In this moment of crisis, the United
23:27Nations has never been more essential.
23:30The world needs our unique legitimacy,
23:33our convening power, our vision to
23:36United Nations to bridge divides and
23:39confront the challenges before us.
23:42The pact for the future has shown your
23:45determination to build a united nations
23:47that is stronger, more inclusive, and
23:50more effective. That is the logic and
23:53the urgency of our UN80 initiative. We
23:57are moving swiftly and decisively. I put
24:01forward concrete proposals, a revised
24:04budget for 2026 that strengthens
24:07accountability, improves delivery, and
24:10cuts costs. Practical reforms to
24:13implement mandates more effectively and
24:15efficiently with greater impact, and
24:18ideas to spark a paradigm shift in the
24:21structure of the UN and how its parts
24:24work together.
24:26Most of these decisions rest with you,
24:28the member states, and we will move
24:30forward in full respect of the
24:33established procedures.
24:36Together, let us choose to invest in a
24:38United Nations that adapts, innovates,
24:42and is empowered to deliver for people
24:45everywhere.
24:47Excellencies, my overriding message
24:50comes down to this. Now is the time to
24:53choose. It's not enough to know what the
24:57right choices are. I urge you to make
25:00them. I grew up in a world where choices
25:03were few. I was raised in the darkness
25:06of dictatorship
25:08where fear silenced voices and hope was
25:11nearly crushed.
25:13Yeaven. Yet even the bleakest hours,
25:17especially then, I discovered the truth
25:20that has never left me. Power does not
25:23reside in the hands of those who
25:26dominate or divide.
25:28Real power resides from people, from our
25:32shared resolve to uphold dignity, to
25:35defend equality, to believe fiercely in
25:39our common humanity and the potential of
25:42every human being.
25:44I learned early to persevere, to speak
25:47out, to refuse to surrender. No matter
25:50the challenge, no matter the obstacle,
25:52no matter the hour, we must and we will
25:56overcome.
25:58Because in a world of many choices,
26:00there is one choice we must never make.
26:03The choice to give up. We must never
26:07give up. That is my promise to you. for
26:11peace, for dignity, for justice, for
26:14humanity, for the world we know is
26:17possible when we work as one. I will
26:21never ever give up. Thank you.
26:25[Applause]
26:47I thank the Secretary General.

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