The world is locked in a “purgatory of polarity” with a growing number of governments and others feeling entitled to a “get out of jail free card”, Secretary-General António Guterres told the UN General Assembly, which opened its annual high-level meeting on Tuesday.

Delivering his 2024 report on the UN’s work ahead of the general debate, Mr. Guterres said world leaders were gathering in the shadow of raging conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere, and rising uncertainty over climate change, ending poverty and reigning in AI. 

“Our world is in a whirlwind. We are in an era of epic transformation – facing challenges unlike any we have ever seen – challenges that demand global solutions,” the UN chief said.

He warned that geo-political divisions are deepening, temperatures around the world are rising, wars are raging – without any end in sight, and nuclear posturing and new weapons are “casting a dark shadow”.

“We are edging towards the unimaginable – a powder keg that risks engulfing the world,” he said.

Two overriding truths

Guterres told Heads of States and Government in attendance that he stood before them with two “overriding truths”: 

“First, the state of our world is unsustainable – we cannot go on like this. And second, the challenges we face are solvable – but that requires us to make sure the mechanisms of international problem-solving actually solve problems.”