UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on the world leaders to maximize their efforts to deescalate the tensions and resume diplomatic dialogue in the Middle East.
The UN chief made the call while addressing the opening of the General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New Nork City.
The general debate is themed with "Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all."
Guterres said the future will be shaped by how the world addresses four "great tests of power."
The first great power test in the 21st century is peace and security, he said.
Across the Middle East, conflicts are cascading, and the so-called ceasefires have amounted to little more than "lesser fires", with civilians continuing to pay the price, said the UN chief.
"I appeal to the leaders in this chamber to maximize this high-level week for de-escalation and dialogue. Together, let's send a clear message from this hall: The fighting must stop. Humanitarian aid must flow. And navigational rights and freedoms must be fully restored in accordance with international law," said Guterres.
On the Palestinian question, Guterres said that "We cannot allow the two-state solution to disappear before our eyes."
Another power test is technology, and above all artificial intelligence, noted Guterres.
Today, power increasingly comes from data, computing capacity and algorithms, said he, noting that "the danger is not technology. The danger is technology without accountability."
The UN chief called for working towards a multilateral AI Risk Management Framework, supported by credible and independent oversight.
UN chief calls for maximized efforts for de-escalation, dialogue in Middle East
