UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday unveiled the UN80 Initiative to enhance the organization's efficiency and effectiveness as it approaches its 80th anniversary.
Speaking at a press conference in New York, Guterres stressed the urgency of reforms, citing global challenges and financial struggles. "The United Nations has never been more needed," he said, emphasising its role in peace, development, and human rights.
He acknowledged the UN's ongoing liquidity crisis due to delayed and incomplete payments from member states. To address this, he announced a task force led by Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder to focus on efficiency, mandate reviews, and structural reforms.
"Budgets at the United Nations are not just numbers on a balance sheet -- they are a matter of life and death for millions around the world," Guterres said, vowing to work with General Assembly President Philemon Yang on reform proposals.
Welcoming proposed Ukraine ceasefire
Guterres welcomed a US-backed 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine as a "positive step" toward peace. Talks in Jeddah, attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Saudi officials, resulted in Ukraine’s conditional acceptance of the proposal.
US President Donald Trump expressed hope that Russia would agree, with further discussions expected soon.
On trade tensions, Guterres warned against economic conflicts, stating, "When we enter into a trade war, I believe, all will lose."
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday strongly condemned Russia’s recent missile and drone strikes on Ukraine. Kyiv reported that the attacks killed at least 25 people and injured 73 others.
UN chief António Guterres has urged swift global action on AI governance, calling for the immediate creation of an independent scientific panel. Speaking at the 3rd AI Summit in Paris, he stressed the need for a unified approach to AI regulation to ensure it serves humanity’s best interests.
Russian athletes will not be allowed to represent their country at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics even if a peace deal is reached with Ukraine, International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said in an interview with an Italian newspaper.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that the Russia-Ukraine war is now threatening trade in the Black Sea.
A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck southern Mexico early on Friday, killing at least two people and causing damage in Guerrero state.
The United States launched an overnight military operation in Venezuela and captured its long-serving President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump said, pledging to place the country under temporary American control and signalling that U.S. forces could be deployed if necessary.
Venezuela’s government has released 88 more people detained after protests following last year’s presidential election, the second mass release in two weeks, as pressure mounts from the United States on President Nicolás Maduro.
North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea, according to South Korea and Japan, as regional diplomacy and security concerns remain in focus.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have arrived in New York after being captured by U.S. forces.
Up to 45,000 households in Berlin are without electricity after a suspected arson fire.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the U.S. operation in Venezuela.
Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the managers of a bar where at least 40 people died in a New Year’s fire.
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