'Our world is in peril,' UN chief says in opening General Assembly address

UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gave a somber appraisal of planetary affairs Tuesday successful an opening code of the yearly high-level gathering successful New York City.

"Our satellite is successful peril and paralyzed," Guterres told satellite leaders attending the 77th United Nations General Assembly, which returned successful idiosyncratic this week for the archetypal clip successful 3 years.

"We are gridlocked successful colossal planetary dysfunction," helium said, adding the planetary assemblage "is not acceptable oregon consenting to tackle" the challenges it faces — including clime change, poorness and war.

"The United Nations charter and the ideals it represents are successful jeopardy and we person a work to act," Guterres added.

The remarks travel arsenic Europe grapples with possibly its biggest subject struggle since World War II, which has uncovered fissures among large powers connected however to deter Russia, enactment Ukraine and mitigate the consequences of war.

Read more: Biden to impulse allied nations for much Ukraine enactment astatine U.N. General Assembly

In February, Russian troops launched a full-scale penetration of Ukraine aft astir 5 months of a gradual subject buildup on its ex-Soviet neighbor's borders.

Russia's warfare successful Ukraine, which has lasted much than 200 days, has exacerbated a planetary nutrient situation already strained by clime challenges and disrupted proviso chains. The struggle has taken the lives of much than 6,000 civilians and has reduced erstwhile industrious Ukrainian cities to rubble.

"Geopolitical divides are undermining the enactment of the Security Council, undermining planetary law, undermining spot and people's religion successful antiauthoritarian institutions, undermining each forms of planetary cooperation," Guterres told leaders seated successful the immense greenish and gold-draped General Assembly Hall.

"We cannot spell connected similar this," helium added.

In summation to Russia's warfare successful Ukraine, the U.N. main urged planetary leaders to code the looming climate crisis, sex inequality and utmost poverty. He pushed leaders to put successful policies that beforehand bid astir the world.

"Trust is crumbling, inequalities are exploding, our satellite is burning," Guterres said.

"Let's enactment arsenic one, arsenic a conjugation of the world, arsenic United Nations," helium added.