UN Secretary-General António Guterres repeated his call for a
humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of
all hostages, in an address to the latest summit of the
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which concluded in Kampala, Uganda,
on Saturday.
Leaders from the 120-member bloc met amid deep division globally,
including rising geopolitical tensions, climate catastrophe,
widespread poverty and raging conflict in Sudan, Ukraine and
Gaza.
Danger and constraints
“Following the abhorrent Hamas attacks on 7 October, the
wholesale destruction of Gaza and the number of civilian
casualties in such a short period are totally unprecedented
during my mandate,” the Secretary-General said, noting that
the UN has also been affected as 152 staff have been killed.
Although humanitarians are doing their best to deliver aid, they
face constant bombardments and daily dangers, amid enormous
constraints posed by damaged roads, communication blackouts and
access denials.
Meanwhile, disease and hunger are deepening, he said.
He said people are dying not only from bombs and bullets, but
from lack of food and clean water, hospitals without power and
medicine, and gruelling journeys to ever-smaller slivers of land
to escape the fighting.
Prevent conflict spillover
“This must stop. I will not relent in my call for an immediate
humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional
release of all hostages,” Mr. Guterres said.
“And we must do all we can to prevent spillover of this conflict
across the region — in the West Bank, across the Blue Line
between Israel and Lebanon, and in Syria, Iraq and the Red Sea.”
He added that refusal to accept the two-State solution for
Israelis and Palestinians, and the denial of the right to
statehood for the Palestinian people, are unacceptable.
“This would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a
major threat to global peace and security; exacerbate
polarization; and embolden extremists everywhere,” he said.
NAM leadership
The NAM was established in the midst of the Cold War, when
leaders of newly independent countries sought a neutral stance
and avoided joining either of the two major power blocs, headed
by the United States and the Soviet Union.
Mr. Guterres said the “swirl of uncertainty and instability” in
the world today offers new opportunities for countries and the
organization to lead the way towards deeper cooperation and
shared global affluence – the theme of the summit.
As global affluence depends on peace which requires institutions
that reflect today’s world, he pointed to the need to reform
bodies such as the UN Security Council which
is “paralyzed by geopolitical divisions that block effective
solutions.”
Recalling that the NAM has long highlighted the issue, he said
the UN Summit of the Future in
September offers a unique opportunity to consider reforms and
promote ideas to rebuild trust and strengthen multilateral
collaboration.
Sustainable development
Meanwhile, countries are moving backwards in achieving
sustainable development, another requirement for peace.
People are going hungry and communities lack access to basics
such as healthcare, clean water, proper sanitation and education.
Mr. Guterres repeated his call for reforming the “outdated,
unjust and unfair global financial system” so that all countries
benefit, and urged governments to invest in education, health,
nutrition and social protection systems.
Last September, world leaders meeting at the UN demonstrated
support for both a $500 billion annual stimulus package to boost
sustainable development and his call to reform the global
financial system.
At the COP28 conference two months later, countries
operationalized the long-awaited Loss and Damage Fund to support
nations that are most vulnerable to climate change. However,
contributions so far have been limited, and developed countries
have not fulfilled many of their longstanding commitments on
climate finance, he said.
The Secretary-General urged the NAM to hold leaders to keep these
promises this year.
