Opening the Doha 2023 Forum, the UN chief assured that he would not abandon his call for a cessation of hostilities, but regretted the lack of consensus in the security body to adopt a resolution with this call.
“The most important forum for the peaceful resolution of international disputes is paralyzed by geostrategic divisions,” he warned.
The contradictions between the permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – were unlikely to result in a solution focused solely on providing aid, and this delay has come at a cost.
“We need serious efforts to update global structures based on equality and solidarity, based on the United Nations Charter and international law,” he added.
Guterres called on the assembled leaders to build bridges and find common solutions to global challenges.
Beyond the Security Council, he said, global governance is unable to address two existential threats.
The High Representative began by recalling the climate emergency, which requires much greater ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure climate justice.
“Despite promises and commitments, our climate is collapsing. Emissions are at an all-time high. And fossil fuels are a major cause,” he said.
The Secretary General recognized the threat posed by new technologies, particularly the inappropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI), as a further risk.
Generative AI could provide solutions to many global challenges, but without proper regulation it will also lead us into deep and turbulent waters, he stressed.
These technologies cry out for governance, he stressed, given the risks of using them to promote hate speech and division.
This year, the Doha Forum devotes its days to analyzing the unprecedented fragmentation and competition between major powers on the planet, as new technologies threaten to divide and polarize the global order.
According to the organizers, the event takes place at a time when proactive engagement, results-oriented thinking and dialogue are more important than ever.
In keeping with its theme, the competition will explore how to build systems, norms and institutions that celebrate the dignity and differences of the world's people and enable effective collaboration across departmental boundaries.
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