UN Secretary-General António Guterres said before the annual session of the UN General Assembly that he had “no power at all”.
Upon request in an interview with CNN of the executive power he has at the meeting, Guterres said: “No power at all.”
“The Secretary of the United Nations has no power and there is no money,” Guterres continued. “What we have is a voice, and that voice can be loud, and I have an obligation to make it loud.”
General debate on the 78thThursday This week saw the start of the UN General Assembly, where countries will be able to air their plans, concerns and calls for action before other global leaders.
Guterres said the General Assembly is sometimes able to convene more than just countries, noting the strength of member states.
“Sometimes we are able to bring together different actors, not only countries, but also the private sector, civil society, women’s and youth organizations, scientific experts, academia,” Guterres said. “But the power lies with the member states.”
Guterres said the exercise of that power has been blocked because of divisions among the superpowers since World War II.
“We have a level of division among the superpowers that has not been seen since World War II,” Guterres said. “Even in the Cold War, things were more predictable than today.”
At the two-day summit that began Monday, Guterres sought to jump-start action to meet the 17 goals adopted by world leaders in 2015, reminding leaders that they had made a “pledge to build a world of health, progress and opportunity for all — a promise to leave no one behind, and a promise to pay for it.’
General Assembly President Dennis Francis added that the assembly’s leaders are “faltering” in their pledge, The Associated Press (AP) reports.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed.
