Guterres Calls for Bold G20 Leadership in Global Governance Overhaul

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on G20 nations to spearhead reform in global governance institutions, emphasizing urgent solutions for poverty, inequality, and climate change. Guterres stresses the need for UN Security Council reforms and fair representation in financial institutions, urging actions towards peace and sustainable development goals.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged countries belonging to the G20 group to take decisive action in reforming global governance structures to tackle urgent issues such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. During remarks made at the G20 Session on Reform of Global Governance Institutions in Rio de Janeiro, Guterres emphasized the crucial role these countries play, because the power to enact significant changes largely rests with them.

Highlighting the diminishing effectiveness and legitimacy of the UN Security Council, Guterres advocated for necessary reforms to combat a worldwide deficit in governance and trust. He noted that worsening poverty, inequality, and climate crises, alongside the elusive pursuit of peace, require solutions embedded in the UN Charter, and a Pact for the Future. He reiterated calls for determined efforts in reforming the Security Council to hold it accountable.

Guterres underscored the critical leadership role of G20 countries in shaping a financial architecture that is fairer and more representative of today's global landscape, stressing actions needed to boost financial support and make debt relief more effective. As the 2024 G20 meeting unfolds in Rio de Janeiro, Guterres sees upcoming events, like the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain, as pivotal for deepening the necessary financial reforms.

(With inputs from agencies.)