Warning of Guterres on war-AI-climate crisis in last speech

Antonio Guterres has given importance to stopping wars and conflicts, dealing with the risks of artificial intelligence (AI), climate crisis and the reform of the United Nations while going to give the speech for the last time at the General Assembly as the Secretary-General of the United Nations. At the same time he has warned that the multilateral system and the United Nations are also under pressure in the face of the growing global challenges.

Former Prime Minister of Portugal Guterres gave the farewell speech at the session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York of the United States on Tuesday (September 22). His second tenure of five years will be completed on December 31 next. Through this the almost one-decade leadership of the United Nations of his will also come to an end.

In the farewell speech Guterres highlighted the necessity of coordinated oversight and risk management at the global level by keeping pace with the rapid development of AI. He called on the countries leading the technological revolution to share security-related information and increase mutual cooperation in the testing and evaluation of AI.

Guterres said it is necessary to move towards a common preventive system to deal with the risks of AI to ensure the security of the world people. At the same time he emphasised building a framework of multilateral risk management under independent and reliable oversight.

Guterres has been working for a long time in favour of the global initiative to control AI. A 39-member advisory council on AI was formed on his initiative in 2023. In the same year the United Nations Security Council discussed the risks of artificial intelligence for the first time.

Guterres also highlighted the matter of wars and conflicts with importance in the farewell speech. Mentioning the situation of the Middle East he said the sea routes have come under threat due to the progress of the Houthis across the Red Sea coast and intense tension is prevailing in the Strait of Hormuz.

He emphasised reducing the tension and solving through discussions so that the conflict does not expand further. Addressing the world leaders Guterres said the wars have to be stopped right now and the path of reaching humanitarian assistance has to be opened. At the same time he called for restoring the freedom of navigation by following the international law.

Guterres also emphasised those matters in the farewell speech on which he has been giving importance in his almost one-decade tenure. He highlighted the position in favour of the two-state-based solution for the Israelis and the Palestinians, the responsibility and compensation of the polluters in the climate crisis and the extensive reform of the international institutions.

At this time Guterres also mentioned the political deadlock inside the United Nations and the crisis of the multilateral system. His statement is that the processes of taking steps collectively are now under severe pressure. He also commented that the global institutions are still continuing by holding the structure of power and the reality of interests of the past.

Although about 130 world leaders were present at the session of the General Assembly in New York, President of China Xi Jinping and the top leaders of South Africa, India and Germany did not take part in it.

Under the leadership of Guterres an attempt has been made to make the United Nations more effective in resolving conflicts as well as establish it as an important platform of global discussion on emerging technologies like AI. However the organisation has also had to deal with challenges like various superpowers bypassing the United Nations and the United States reducing the fund in this period.

In the last phase of the farewell speech Guterres expressed gratitude to the world leaders who have been beside for the past 10 years. In an emotional voice he said although he will not be in the responsibility of the Secretary-General from January 1 next he will continue working lifelong in favour of the belief that peace is possible.

He further said he will continue working in favour of the core values of the United Nations Charter and will not give up in any situation.