Interview transcript
Secretary-Basic, welcome to this interview with UN Information. In a number of days, world leaders are going to assemble on this chamber. How would you describe the state of the world that’s the backdrop for this Basic Meeting?
Secretary-Basic: We face a world disaster. Conflicts are multiplying within the context by which geopolitical divides don’t permit to successfully deal with them.
There’s a sense of impunity – each nation believes they will do no matter they need. However, we see that growing international locations are going through monumental difficulties. A lot of them drowning in debt with out entry to concessional funding that they require to redress their economies. Inequality is rising.
However, local weather change isn’t but beneath management. And we’ve a number of indicators that, it can most likely be very tough to take care of our central goal, which is to maintain world warming under 1.5 levels.
And technological developments are largely with out guardrails. And, after all, they’ve an unlimited potential, however the dangers are there. And among the dangers may be witnessed at this time: Supporting the polarization of societies; growing the divisions inside societies; hate speech is rising.
We completely want leaders to return right here and to show the tide…to return right here and to reaffirm multilateralism – that we can not remedy all these issues alone
So on this context, we completely want leaders to return right here and to show the tide. To return right here and perceive that worldwide cooperation is significant in a second like this. To return right here and do the negotiations and the mediations which are essential to, a minimum of, create hope for peace in among the conditions we face.
To return right here and to make robust commitments in relation to the discount of emissions to handle local weather change. To return right here and to just accept the necessity for the reforms of the worldwide monetary structure to have extra justice and extra equality in worldwide relations.
To return right here and to just accept some types which, after all, are comfortable however some types of governance of synthetic intelligence and new applied sciences that ensure that human company is preserved and that they develop into a pressure for good.
And, primarily to return right here and to reaffirm multilateralism – that we can not remedy all these issues alone.
That is my hope. And we’ll do all the things attainable to make this summit successful and to ask the world leaders to imagine their obligations in a second of worldwide disaster.
And certainly, there are going to be various summits convened through the Basic Meeting round peace and safety. There’s going to be a two-State answer convention and various conferences on ending among the wars which have been raging the world over. What do you hope these conferences will obtain?
Secretary-Basic: Properly, to begin with, I imagine that there shall be a transparent, clear demonstration that the overwhelming majority of the international locations on this planet acknowledge the appropriate of the Palestinian folks to self-determination; acknowledge that there should be a Palestinian state and acknowledge it within the assembly we may have on Monday.
And, on the similar time, ship a really clear message that the carnage that’s taking place in Gaza has to finish, that we want a ceasefire instantly with the discharge of all hostages instantly too. And with efficient humanitarian help in Gaza that’s struggling the very best stage of dying and destruction that I’ve seen since I am Secretary-Basic.
However, to have a transparent, clear affirmation that there isn’t a various to the two-State answer – a one-State answer by which the Palestinian folks would haven’t any rights and that lots of them could be kicked out of their land is one thing utterly unacceptable within the twenty first century.
The one strategy to have hope for peace sooner or later and the one strategy to battle extremism on this planet, is to reaffirm the two-State answer and to not permit annexations
And so, the one strategy to have hope for peace sooner or later and the one strategy to battle extremism on this planet, is to reaffirm the two-State answer and to not permit annexations; to not permit the continuation of this dramatic destruction in Gaza; to create the situations for the 2 peoples, the Jewish folks and the Palestinian folks; to grasp that they should dwell in peace and safety.
This will even be the venue for trying on the state of affairs round various different conflicts, a few of them which have been known as “forgotten”, just like the conflict in Sudan.
What do you hope may probably be achieved subsequent week, when world leaders come collectively and give attention to a few of these “forgotten” conflicts.
Secretary-Basic: Now we have too many actors messing up in Sudan. And, that is an event, for specifically the massive powers. The struggling of the Sudanese folks is horrible. So, I feel it is time for the Security Council to have the ability to take – with the settlement of all the important thing powers – very robust measures on Sudan, to make these Sudanese events perceive that what they’re doing is a criminal offense towards their very own folks.
Are you able to simply say one thing about simply conflict normally? What does it do to folks and what are the ripple results all over the world?
Secretary-Basic: Properly, as divisions are excessive, and, as we’ve not the devices to ensure accountability – as we dwell in a world of impunity – it’s simple for international locations that see the examples of huge powers waging conflict, as within the case of Ukraine.
There’s a stimulus for mid-sized international locations to attempt to remedy their ambitions or their issues by means of conflict – as a substitute of negotiation, as a substitute of compromise. And that is changing into a sample that must be strongly opposed by the worldwide neighborhood.
We would wish a way more united and efficient Safety Council to make it occur.
And we might want a way more united and efficient Safety Council to make it occur. That is why the reform of the Safety Council is so necessary.
You have seen the fallout of those wars. You had been Excessive Commissioner for Refugees and also you’ve visited conflict zones and refugee camps and noticed what it means to must flee from wars. What’s your message to all of these folks? Now we have 122 million forcibly displaced folks on this planet at this time. How can this finish?
Secretary-Basic: My message for them is a message of solidarity. However an important message is to the international locations on this planet which have obligations beneath worldwide legislation beneath worldwide refugee legislation, that their doorways should be open, that refugees should see their rights revered, and that, after all, all should do all the things attainable to reestablish peace of their lands, for them to have the ability to return residence.
However, with doorways closed and with conflicts that don’t finish, we see these refugees misplaced, with no rights and in a really dramatic state of affairs. And, to make issues worse, UNHCR that has a unbelievable position in supporting refugees all around the world, is now dramatically underfunded.
So this can be a tragic state of affairs that requires a complete response for refugee rights to be revered and for refugees to be supported.
On the GA (Basic Meeting), you are additionally going to be chairing a Local weather Answer summit. What have you ever requested Member States to return to the desk with?
Secretary-Basic: It is a second by which each Member State should current its new local weather plan. And it’s important that these local weather plans are aligned with the target of 1.5 levels, which implies that they bring about a dramatic discount of emissions.
And, on the similar time, that these nationally decided contributions, these local weather plans, cowl the entire of financial system, cowl all greenhouse gases and create the situations for the 1.5 diploma restrict to stay as a risk, as a result of the danger is that we’re on the verge of constructing it irreversible, the impossibility to maintain world warming contained at that stage.
It’s important that [the national] local weather plans are aligned with the target of 1.5°C, which implies that they bring about a dramatic discount of emissions
And we should do all the things now to keep away from that state of affairs of irreversibility that might result in a catastrophe of monumental proportions for folks all over the world, particularly in essentially the most susceptible situations – Small Island Growing States, the African continent and different areas the place hurricanes, drought, floods, the melting of glaciers, every kind of disasters will make life not possible.
So that is the second to take drastic selections in lowering emissions and governments should current plans in step with that goal.
This has been, since you have been Secretary-Basic, a problem that you have been simply hammering at, in any respect ranges, and also you visited all components of the worldto witness the worst results of local weather change. Is that this private to you?
Secretary-Basic: That is the defining menace of our instances. And so, that is private to all of us. And for me, it’s clear that that is the main check in relation to the capability of the world to return collectively and to defeat what’s an enemy of humankind and of the planet.
Some folks additionally say that synthetic intelligence is one in all our greatest world threats. And, additionally on the Basic Meeting, there shall be a world dialogue on AI governance on the agenda. Why is it so necessary to have such a dialogue right here on the United Nations, and how much final result do you hope for?
Secretary-Basic: As a result of we completely must protect human company in synthetic intelligence to ensure that synthetic intelligence is a gigantic contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, to extra equality on this planet. And, to keep away from in any respect prices that synthetic intelligence deepens the divide between wealthy and poor on this planet.
We completely must protect human company in synthetic intelligence to ensure that AI is a gigantic contribution to sustainable improvement, to extra equality on this planet
And, on the similar time, that it’s used for functions that symbolize a hazard for our societies – a hazard as a result of they are often weaponized. And I have been claiming the necessity to forbid autonomous weapons by which machines, algorithms can kill folks with out human company.
But additionally, a hazard as a result of it permits to amplify the mechanisms of hate speech, mechanisms of polarization of societies in relation to which the UN has introduced – within the Pact for the Future – a transparent algorithm as a way to ensure that, in social media and in different platforms, synthetic intelligence and digital applied sciences normally, don’t develop into a menace to the social cohesion of societies and the mechanism of polarization that undermines democracy and undermines the opportunity of peace to prevail.
One among your signature points has been financing improvement in help of the SDGs. And the Basic Meeting will host a primary of its sort summit, bringing collectively leaders of worldwide monetary establishments and Heads of State. Why is that this so necessary?
Secretary-Basic: As a result of we want the reform of worldwide monetary establishments and it is dependent upon Member States to do it. Our worldwide monetary structure comes from the Second World Warfare, and at this time would not symbolize the world that exists.
Now we have seen the emergence of huge economies within the growing world. They should have a voice and a presence, participation within the world establishments. The identical with continents like Africa or Latin America, which are absent within the mechanisms of determination.
On the similar time, we have to take various measures to multiply the assets out there for growing international locations. We all know that official improvement help isn’t rising – quite the opposite, is being dramatically decreased. However there are a sure variety of issues that may be executed that may multiply the assets that exist.
As an illustration, if we put $1 in a challenge, it’s $1. For those who put $1 within the capital of a multilateral improvement financial institution, it is $5, as a result of they will go to the market and procure further assets. So we have to do various reforms of the system.
First, to have justice in the best way the system works. And second, to multiply the restricted assets that we’ve out there so as to have the ability to assist international locations achieve success in attaining the Sustainable Improvement Targets and in offering to their folks a response to their wants – particularly in training, in well being, in housing and in lots of different points which are important for the well-being of populations.
We will even be marking 30 years because the landmark Beijing Convention at a time of backsliding on girls’s rights. What is going to your message be to that assembly?
Gender equality, even gender parity are central to the goals of the United Nations – if there’s a push again, we have to push again towards the push again
Secretary-Basic: Gender equality. I might say even gender parity are central to the goals of the United Nations. If there’s a push again, we have to push again towards the push again. And we have to reaffirm that the world can solely be honest if the 2 halves of the world are on the similar stage and may work collectively to the advantage of us all.
On a private stage, do you ever really feel despair?
Secretary-Basic: By no means. I normally use a sentence of Jean Monnet which is: ‘I am not optimistic nor pessimistic, I’m decided.’ I feel this can be a second by which we want willpower. Generally it appears to be like like there isn’t a hope. We should construct that hope and we should be decided, by no means giving up and combating and combating till our goals may be achieved.
The UN is in the midst of a monetary disaster which has been compounding over a few years, however which has not too long ago resulted in large cuts. Some proposed right here within the Secretariat, however particularly the UN humanitarian organizations have confronted funds cuts.
And that is already having a devastating impact on the folks that the UN serves. What is going to you say to Member States subsequent week on why the UN wants their help?
Secretary-Basic: Properly, I’ll say that they need to, to begin with, adjust to their obligations. There are voluntary contributions that sadly have decreased with this new emphasis on protection, this new emphasis on rearmament of nations. So, you will need to protect these voluntary contributions.
However there are obligations. There are assessed contributions to the United Nations which are important, as an example, for peacekeeping. So, if these obligations are usually not met, we must do drastic cuts in peacekeeping, as we’ve executed drastic cuts in humanitarian help the world over, with horrible penalties within the lives of individuals.
International locations should do all the things attainable to take care of their commitments to the SDGs and to mobilize assets for improvement cooperation
So, international locations should do all the things attainable to take care of their commitments to the Sustainable Improvement Targets and to mobilize assets for improvement cooperation and for humanitarian help, figuring out how tough it’s. However above all, international locations should adjust to their obligations.
In March, you launched the UN80 Initiative, and this was to create a more practical group that, in your phrases, is extra agile, responsive and resilient and higher outfitted to serve the folks whose lives rely upon us. That does not sound like an 80 yr previous group, however one that you just hope to resume. What would that UN appear to be?
Secretary-Basic: Properly, the UN at this time is a constellation of organizations. If we might construct the UN at this time with all its companies, we’ll construct it in another way. After all, we can not impulsively, think about that we are able to rebuild the UN from scratch. However there are a lot of duplications. There are various areas the place there isn’t a efficient coordination. There are various areas the place there’s competitors, the place there needs to be collaboration.
And we have to do, on one hand, to ensure that there isn’t a waste, to ensure that there isn’t a duplication in the usage of assets, to ensure that the organizations are extra slim and more practical, and to ensure that they arrive collectively to scale back their prices.
As an illustration, you may have humanitarian companies – they need to preserve their core mandates – World Meals Programme, UNICEF, UNHCR. However they will put in frequent their provide chains, their again workplaces, their premises, in order that there are enormous financial savings that may be made by successfully organizing the United Nations in a method by which all the things is, I might say, all the things is used to the advantage of the folks we look after.
And, let’s be trustworthy, bureaucracies are all the time resistant to vary. That is why we took some drastic measures forcing our totally different departments in headquarters and likewise asking the companies to do the identical, to be as slim and as efficient as attainable and to work way more for those who we serve as a substitute of for ourselves.
You have usually spoken out on behalf of the world’s younger folks, and you have additionally inspired them to get entangled, together with right here on the Basic Meeting. And we’ll have many younger folks represented right here subsequent week. What could be your message to them on how they will make a distinction in altering the world?
Secretary-Basic: I feel my message is for them to be extraordinarily lively. They are often lively in so some ways. They are often lively in social media. They are often lively in associations which are concerned in key discussions in societies. They are often lively in humanitarian help. They are often lively within the political lifetime of their international locations.
[Young people] want to grasp that this world is theirs. It is not the long run world that’s theirs – it’s this world that’s theirs
They should perceive that this world is theirs. It is not the long run world that’s theirs. It is this world that’s theirs. They usually know they should assume their citizenship and make their citizenship be a pressure for change, a pressure for a world by which justice, equality will prevail.
And at last, there’s numerous indifference on this planet. A few of it’s fueled by simply overwhelm and the gloom and doom of the information and the social media. Why ought to folks care about what’s taking place in several components of the world and the entire points that you just simply outlined?
Secretary-Basic: As a result of at this time, the world is just one, and what occurs in any a part of the world will have an impact in our personal lives. Take a look at the demography and the actions of individuals – that is certainly one world. Our home is our world, and the issues anyplace on this planet are our issues.
Mr. Secretary-Basic, thanks very a lot for this interview.
