Secretary-General António Guterres is photographed by a student during a visit to a school run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) at Baqa’a Camp in Jordan. (Photo: UN)

UN chief’s message

As the world ushers in a new year, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a statement urged united action to deal with climate change, gender inequality, social injustice, and human rights violations. The UN chief said the world is entering 2020 with “uncertainty and insecurity all around” and  expressed hope in the young people.

Mr. Guterres’s statement on denuclearizing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea said “diplomatic engagement is the only pathway to sustainable peace.” A January 1 statement by Secretary General Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said “the Secretary-General very much hopes that the tests will not resume, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions. Non-proliferation remains a fundamental pillar of global nuclear security and must be preserved.”

Pope Francis wishes peace in the world

In his Christmas message, Pope Francis urged peace building in areas suffering from war and conflict, including Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Venezuela, Ukraine, and several African nations. He emphasized “Trust in dialogue between individuals and between nations, in multilateralism, in the role of the international organizations.” The Holy Father also called on the international community to listen to the young people, who are asking for world peace and a more human and just civilization”.  He urged the world to unite in the fight against every kind of abuse of children and overcome indifference in the face of attacks against human dignity and human life, including the unborn.

US wants peace with Iran

US President Donald Trump’s remarks on New Year’s Eve have drawn much public attention. At a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, President Trump said war with Iran would not be a good idea and he wants to have peace. 

President Trump’s remarks make people breathe a sigh of relief because Trump has previously threatened to make Iran pay a dear price and be held accountable for the American citizens killed and losses suffered in an attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad, on Tuesday. Given the sour US-Iran relations of the past year, many fear an imminent dangerous military confrontation between them.

In a New Year speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged efforts to ensure lasting stability and prosperity for Hong Kong and Macau, to promote peace in cross-strait relations between the mainland and Taiwan on the basis of their 1992 Consensus, and to make fresh contributions to world peace and development.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in her New Year's Eve address, declared war on climate change, saying she will do her utmost to ensure that Germany "makes its contribution ecologically, economically, and socially" to get the problem under control.