UN Sec-General Calls For Ceasefire In Gaza, Continued Efforts Toward Two-State Solution

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and continued efforts toward a two-state solution, which is the only viable solution to peace in the Middle East.
In his address at the start of the High-Level General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly's 80th session, he stressed that the horrors in Gaza are approaching their third year, and the scale of death and destruction exceeds any other conflict. He noted that famine has been declared in Gaza despite the International Court of Justice's declaration of measures, and that these measures must be implemented immediately.
He also stressed that nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of their livelihood.
The UN Secretary-General said that the scale of death and destruction in Gaza exceeds any other conflict he has witnessed during his tenure as Secretary-General of the United Nations, emphasizing the need to implement the legally binding provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the case: "Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip."
He also warned that civilians in Sudan are being killed, starved, and silenced, and that women and girls are facing unspeakable violence, emphasizing that there is no military solution to the conflict.
In this context, he urged all parties to end the foreign support that fuels the bloodshed in Sudan and to press for the protection of civilians.
On the other hand, Guterres said that the principles of the United Nations are under siege, the pillars of peace and progress are crumbling, and that without effective multilateral institutions, the world will descend into chaos.
Referring to the organization's creation after World War II, he said that 80 years ago, world leaders chose cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, and peace over conflict, and that this choice resulted in the birth of the United Nations.
He added that the United Nations is not just a meeting place, but a moral compass, a force for peace and its preservation, a protector of international law, a catalyst for sustainable development, a lifeline for people in crises, and a beacon for human rights.
The UN Secretary-General also addressed the current challenges, questioning the nature of the world we will choose, and indicating that the world is becoming increasingly multipolar. This may be a positive thing, reflecting a more diverse international arena, but multipolarity without effective multilateral institutions leads to chaos.
The UN Secretary-General urged UN Member States to make five choices: peace rooted in international law, human dignity and human rights, climate justice, technology at the service of humanity, and strengthening the United Nations for the 21st century.
The UN Secretary-General stressed that peace is our first commitment, adding that impunity is the mother of chaos Secretary-General Antonio Guterres UNGA 80

MENAFN23092025000067011011ID1110100723