United Nations, Nov 12 (UNI) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that to thrive, multilateralism had to adapt, mindful that “conflicts persist, creating suffering and displacement: our world is unsettled” in a speech to the Paris Peace Forum in Paris.
He was speaking on Monday as commemorations took place in countries across the world, marking the official end of the First World War, in 1918.
Drawing parallels with the geopolitical landscape in the early 20th Century, Mr Guterres described today’s world as neither bipolar, unipolar, nor multipolar, but rather “chaotic and uncertain”.
Today, he said, conflicts are not between sovereign States, but rather consist of asymmetrical conflicts, in which countries are often pitted against non-State actors.
When third-party states interfere, these conflicts take on a regional dimension, continued Mr Guterres, at a time when relations between the most powerful countries are dysfunctional, and with a Security Council that is frequently paralysed.
The UN chief declared that conflict prevention is more indispensable than ever, citing growing links to a new form of global terrorism, as seen in Libya and the Lake Chad region, and the danger of nuclear proliferation. He called for the root causes to be addressed, as well as the prevention of new tensions and conflicts.
Mr Guterres explained that international cooperation is the only way to solve these issues, which is why crisis prevention and mediation, as well as a framework for fighting violent extremism, and reinforcing peace and international security, are at the heart of his UN reforms.
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