Conflicts in Libya, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan are “not insurmountable” but they are “unprecedented in their complexity, gravity and urgency,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday.
Speaking during the closing session of the General Assembly on “Our Common Agenda”, Guterres said the world is “clearly at a vital moment for multilateralism”.
“Since I addressed the first consultation, the worst war and refugee crisis since World War II has erupted on the continent of Europe,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the suffering continues unabated in Yemen, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and other conflict zones,” said the UN chief. “The problems before us are not insurmountable — but they are unprecedented in their complexity, gravity and urgency.”
“The solutions I propose are intended precisely to prevent such crises, by protecting the viability of multilateralism from the attacks of recent years,” he said.