UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a stark warning on Tuesday, calling out the alarming rise of impunity among nations and groups that feel free to violate international norms without consequence. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, he highlighted ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, urging world leaders to confront this dangerous trend.
“The level of impunity in the world is politically indefensible and morally intolerable,” Guterres stated, emphasizing that some governments believe they possess a “get out of jail free card.” He expressed deep concern as these entities continue to “trample international law” and “violate the United Nations Charter,” citing instances of invasion and the neglect of civilian welfare.
Guterres’s address comes amid escalating violence in the Middle East, with the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas threatening to spread into Lebanon. Following Israeli airstrikes aimed at Hezbollah targets, he warned, “Lebanon is at the brink.” He implored leaders, “The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world – cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza.”
Turning his attention to the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Guterres noted the recent intensification of hostilities. He pointed to Ukraine’s advances into Russia’s Kursk region and the subsequent escalation of drone and missile attacks. “Civilians are paying the price – in rising death tolls and shattered lives and communities,” he lamented, reaffirming the need for a just peace grounded in international law and UN resolutions.
Guterres also condemned the ongoing violence in Sudan, where a brutal power struggle between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has erupted into conflict since April 2023, derailing hopes for a transition to civilian governance.
Summarizing the current global landscape, Guterres described it as “unsustainable,” yet insisted that the challenges at hand could be addressed. “Geo-political divisions keep deepening. The planet keeps heating. Wars rage with no clue how they will end,” he warned, cautioning against the nuclear posturing and new weapons that threaten global stability. “We are edging towards the unimaginable – a powder keg that risks engulfing the world.”
As world leaders gathered for the annual assembly, Guterres’s urgent call to action resonated, challenging them to confront the realities of a world rife with conflict and injustice.
