Recalling his message to the G20 leaders in India, UN general Antonio Guterres on Tuesday underscored that it is time for a "global compromise" as he told heads of state and government here that the world needs statesmanship and not gamesmanship to deal with current challenges.
"Divides are widening within countries. Democracy is under threat. Authoritarianism is on the march. Inequalities are growing. And hate speech is on the rise,” Guterres told world leaders in his address to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) here on Tuesday.
Addressing the world from the green podium in the UNGA hall, Guterres said that in the face of all the challenges that are confronting the world, compromise has become a "dirty word".
"Our world needs statesmanship, not gamesmanship and gridlock. As I told the G20, it is time for a global compromise. Politics is compromise. Diplomacy is compromise. Effective leadership is compromise," said the UN chief, who was in New Delhi to attend the G20 summit.
He underscored that leaders have a special responsibility to achieve compromise in building a common future of peace and prosperity.
The UN chief noted in his address that over the past year, “we have shown the promise of multilateral action. We have all the tools to solve our shared challenges. What we need is determination". He told world leaders that the determination to deal with the challenges starts with a determination to uphold the UN Charter's pledge for peace.