‘Proving our worth through action’: 5 things Guterres wants the UN to focus on in 2019

16 January 2019

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, gave a new year message on Wednesday, at UN headquarters in New York, to present his top priorities for 2019. He has a very ambitious plan for the upcoming year and emphasized: “The truth is that the experience of last year proves that when we work together and when we assume our responsibilities, we get things done.”

The five main items on his plan for the year are: diplomacy for peace, climate action, progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), better use of new technologies and stronger UN values throughout the world.

Mr. Guterres explained that partnerships are crucial to achieve peace, especially on the African continent. On climate action he pointed out that “by 2050, we need to reach net zero global emissions.” He lamented the slow progress made in 2018 on the road to achieve the 2030 UN Development Goals (SDGs). He also said that technology “can turbocharge” the progress for peace and sustainable development.

The UN Secretary-General went on to defend the UN values, which he said have been under attack recently. He concluded by saying: “Let’s keep showing all people that we care...Let’s keep proving our worth through action.”