Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General

Listen to Antonio Guterres give his final address to the UN General Assembly. Some of his most memorable quotes from the speech:

“The fault lines in our world are widening. Cracks have become canyons.”

“Military power alone cannot secure peace. Economic power alone cannot command stability and technological power alone cannot guarantee security. A networked multi-polar worlds can create the conditions for more balanced and representative global problem solving. But it requires a multilateral system centered in the UN that is balanced and representative, strong, effective institutions that reflect the realities and progressively changing relative weight of countries and economies in today's world, not the power arrangements of 80 years ago. We already have a binding foundation, the charter of the United Nations and the principles that give it life. The primacy of international law, upholding human dignity and the pursuit of justice in all its dimensions. These are the backbone for the effective, legitimate and responsible exercise of power in the 21st century. Excellencies, it comes down to these. Will we act to ensure that power is governed by law or by force, by cooperation or coercion, by responsibility to young people and future generations or indifference to their fate.”

The 4 great tests of power, “The power over war and peace. The power that concentrates wealth and drives inequality. The power fueling climate chaos and war on nature. And, the power unleashed by artificial intelligence.”

The UN staff has reached gender parity for the first time in history. “Equality is not a dream, it is a decision.”