The Pacific Island nation of Papua New Guinea is proof that embracing differences can be the world’s greatest strength, the UN Secretary-General said in a speech to parliamentarians in the capital, Port Moresby. António Guterres is the first serving UN Secretary-General to visit the country, which is celebrating 50 years of independence. He praised its tremendous diversity, with over 800 languages spoken and countless traditions.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for strengthening multilateralism – and appealed for peace in Gaza, Ukraine and beyond –  in remarks to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, China. The Eurasian bloc, comprising 10 member states, is the world’s largest regional organization by population and geography. Mr. Guterres told leaders that “we are moving towards a multipolar world”, which is both a reality and an opportunity.

UN Secretary-General repeated his call for Africa to have a greater say in decisions that affect its future, in remarks to a conference in Japan focused on the continent’s development. “With the world’s youngest population, abundant natural resources, and a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, Africa is poised for progress,” he told the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama. He said the meeting’s theme – Co-Create Innovative Solutions with Africa – was a reminder that these same strengths can help shape a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world in Africa and beyond.

Breaking down barriers and restoring fairness in global development should be the goal of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, Secretary-General António Guterres said at its opening in Awaza, Turkmenistan. Urging global leaders to rethink development for landlocked nations, the UN chief declared: “We gather today to reaffirm a fundamental truth: geography should never define destiny.” According to the UN Development Programme, of the 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) worldwide, 16 are in Africa, 10 in Asia, four in Europe, and two in Latin America. 

Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “at a breaking point” and headed toward a one-State reality marked by perpetual occupation and inequality, unless the international community takes urgent, irreversible steps to implement the two-State solution. Addressing the high-level conference on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-State solution, Mr. Guterres delivered a stark message about the urgency of action and the cost of delay. “For decades, Middle East diplomacy has been far more process than peace,” he said.