UN Secretary General Warns World is in Big Trouble

In a state of the World address at the UN General Assembly, Secretary-General of the organisation Antonio Guterres sounded a dire warning of the geopolitical challenges and security risks that are evident in the World at large. Geopolitical divides, the Russia Ukraine War, non traditional security challenges were marked by a sign of hope the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Mr Guterres lamented that, ”our world is in peril and paralyzed by political divides that were undermining the work of the UN Security Council, international law, trust and people’s faith in democratic institutions, and all forms of international cooperation”.

Calling for reconciliation he stated that there is no second path other than dialogue and cooperation. “But the reality is that we live in a world where the logic of cooperation and dialogue is the only path forward,” said Mr. Guterres and called for, “a coalition of the world,” that can work together to achieve peace and sustain the same which is the core mission of the UN he said.

Geopolitical Divides

On geopolitical divides he warned that the world is in for big trouble.

Mr Guterres said, “Our world is in big trouble. Divides are growing deeper. Inequalities are growing wider. Challenges are spreading farther”.

In the impact of the geopolitical divides is undermining work of the Security Council, international law, trust and people’s faith in democratic institutions and all forms of international cooperation.

“At one stage, international relations seemed to be moving toward a G-2 world; now we risk ending up with G-nothing,” he said warning that we cannot go on like this anymore.

Russia’s Ukraine War

The widespread destruction and massive human rights degradation in the wake of Russian invasion of the Ukraine is seen as the foremost crisis and one which may escalate given Russian general mobilisation.

The Russian invasion, “has unleashed widespread destruction with massive violations of human rights and international humanitarian law... We are seeing the threat of dangerous divisions between West and South. The risks to global peace and security are immense,” said the Secretary-General.

Non Traditional Security Challenges

While calling for the world to keep working for peace in line with the UN Charter and international law, the UN chief warned that away from the glare of international media, other conflicts and humanitarian crises were spreading and the gap for funding the UN Global Humanitarian Appeal was the widest ever at some $32 billion.

Recounting the conflicts raging across the World, Mr Guterres warned of the tragedies impacting thousands of lives from the Horn of Africa to Afghan, Palestine, Israel and Myanmar.

Mr. Guterres said “...and the list goes on... We need much more concerted action everywhere anchored in respect for international law and the protection of human rights.”

UN Contribution

The new Agenda for Peace in landmark report on “Our Common Agenda,” has called for using every diplomatic tool for the pacific settlement of disputes; ensure the centrality of women’s leadership; prioritize prevention and peacebuilding and recognize human rights as pivotal for prevention as per the UN press note.

Hope – Multilateralism at Work

Amidst the gloom, the Secretary General cited signs of hope - Black Sea Grain Initiative.

“ has opened the pathway for the safe navigation of dozens of ships filled with much needed food supplies,” he said.

Recounting that, “It navigated through a war zone – guided by the very parties to the conflict – as part of an unprecedented comprehensive initiative to get more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia”.

Chimera of Cooperation

Yet recent developments on Russia’s war in Ukraine with a partial mobilisation ordered by Kremlin means that the Black Sea Grain Initiative may be just a chimera of cooperation.

On September 21, President Vladimir Putin “ordered Russia's first mobilisation since World War Two after suffering a major battlefield reversal in Ukraine, an attempt to turn the military tide in what he has cast as a defining East-West clash,” as per a Reuters report.

Clearly implying that The Russia Ukraine War is expected to continue despite the dire warnings of the UN Secretary General in New York or Mr Putin’s close partners – Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President Xi Jinping of China who in separate meetings with the Russian leader had called for rapprochement and dialogue to end the war in Ukraine.

This comes as the fears of use of tactical nuclear war grows in case Russian armed forces who are stretched over an extended front in Ukraine lack the numbers to prevent more losses.