United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action from G20 leaders to address global crises and accelerate progress on critical challenges, speaking ahead of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. “Our times are tumultuous, and we need to race much faster to tackle fundamental common challenges,” Guterres said.
Arriving from the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, Guterres thanked Brazil for hosting the summit and acknowledged shared global concerns. He said, “I thank President Lula and the people of Brazil for their warm welcome, and for hosting the G20 Summit. From Baku to Brazil and beyond, I am seeing and hearing common themes and concerns.”
Highlighting the interconnected nature of today’s challenges, Guterres urged reforms in international institutions, particularly the UN Security Council. “The threats we face today are interconnected and international. But global problem-solving institutions desperately need an upgrade - not least the Security Council, which reflects the world of 80 years ago,” he said. He pointed to the recently adopted Pact for the Future as a roadmap for strengthening multilateralism and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. The Secretary-General added, “I have come to Rio with a simple message: G20 leaders must lead.”
Turning to ongoing conflicts, Guterres underscored the human cost and called for immediate peace efforts. He said, “As wars grind on, people are paying a horrible price. We must step up for peace. Peace in Gaza - with an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution. Peace in Lebanon - with a ceasefire and meaningful steps towards implementing Security Council resolutions in full. Peace in Ukraine - by following the UN Charter, UN resolutions and international law. Peace in Sudan - by leaders leaning on the warring parties to end the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on civilians.”
The Secretary-General also stressed the need for an overhaul of the global financial system to support vulnerable nations. He said, “Vulnerable countries face tremendous headwinds and obstacles that are not of their making. They aren’t getting the level of support that they need from an international financial architecture that is outdated, ineffective and unfair.” Guterres added that the Pact for the Future calls for ambitious reforms to address these inequities.
On climate change, Guterres warned of catastrophic consequences unless immediate action is taken. He said, “Countries’ current climate policies are pushing us to a disastrous 3.1-degree temperature rise by the end of the century. To avoid the very worst of future climate catastrophe - we must limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Emissions must be cut by 9 percent a year to 2030 - but yet they are still rising. The spotlight is naturally on the G20. They account for 80 percent of global emissions.”
Guterres also called out disinformation campaigns undermining global climate efforts and emphasized the importance of AI governance. He said, “We must also fight the coordinated disinformation campaigns impeding global progress on climate change, ranging from outright denial to greenwashing to harassment of climate scientists. The Global Digital Compact adopted at the UN Summit of the Future includes the first universal agreement on artificial intelligence governance that brings every country to the table.”