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The general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly has begun under the theme "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: United Nations at the Service of All".
The high-level general deliberations are an annual event held at the beginning of each session of the United Nations General Assembly, lasting about a week, during which heads of state and government and senior representatives of the UN's 193 member states deliver speeches to the General Assembly.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday that the past decade has seen the outbreak of wars that have left devastating consequences and continued with horrific brutality, noting that the world is facing the test of achieving peace.
Guterres added, during the meetings of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, that civilians were targeted during the wars, human rights were violated, and hunger was used as a weapon.
He stressed that military force alone cannot guarantee security, nor can economic power alone guarantee stability, emphasizing the need for an interconnected world and strong, effective institutions.
Guterres said the world is facing the test of achieving peace, calling for de-escalation and an end to fighting in a number of countries.
Regarding the Middle East, Guterres said the so-called ceasefire is "nothing more than less intense gunfire".
He stressed that "we cannot allow the two-state solution to fade before our eyes".
On the Palestinian issue, Guterres said that what followed October 7 for the Palestinians in Gaza was widespread "killing and destruction," emphasizing the need to emphasize the catastrophic situation in the Palestinian territories.
He pointed out that what he witnessed of destruction in the Palestinian territories he had never witnessed in his entire life.
In the occupied West Bank, Guterres said that acts of violence and the expansion of settlements undermine the peace process and raise the specter of ethnic cleansing, adding that the settlements raise the "specter of ethnic cleansing".
The UN Secretary-General stressed that the opportunity for a two-state solution must not be allowed to fade before the eyes of the world.
On the Sudanese issue, Guterres said the war in Sudan has turned from a war over power into a war on civilians.
He added that millions have been displaced in Sudan, while hunger is spreading and drones are targeting hospitals and homes.
Guterres called for reforming the Security Council to reflect today's world and to have the legitimacy and effectiveness to face the challenges of the present.
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