UN chief Guterres departs with 65 conflicts and unfinished crises
UN secretary general Guterres steps down at year's end after a decade managing major global conflicts.
The UN secretary general leaves office on December 31 after a decade managing global conflicts he could not resolve. Guterres brokered the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Guterres promoted women to senior UN roles. Guterres pursued climate diplomacy.
There are currently 65 active armed conflicts worldwide, the most since 1946. Russia and the United States violated the UN Charter by starting wars.
The number of displaced people almost doubled from 65.6 million to 118 million, including 45 million children. Guterres never travelled to Myanmar, Sudan or several other major crisis points.
Budget cuts from 4 billion dollars in unpaid US dues forced humanitarian funding cuts. This will leave millions hungry.
- December 31
- Departure date
- 65, most since 1946
- Active conflicts
- 65.6 million to 118 million
- Displaced people increase
- 4 billion dollars
- Unpaid US dues
Why it mattersGuterres' departure signals the end of a decade when the UN proved unable to prevent major wars or stop humanitarian catastrophes. This raises questions about its future power.
AustraliaAustralia and other UN member nations must now select a successor to tackle unresolved conflicts and climate change while the world body faces its most fragile state since the Cold War ended.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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