UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged nations to make recovery for people, planet, and prosperity their 2022 resolution.
In his New Year’s message, Guterres stated that countries could work together to prioritize recovery for people and the planet.
“As 2022 approaches, our hopes for the future are being tested by deepening poverty and worsening inequality…an unequal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines…failure to meet climate commitments, as well as ongoing conflict, division, and misinformation,” he said.
He went on to say that these were “moral and real-life tests,” not just policy tests.
According to him, these are tests that humanity as a whole can pass if we commit to making 2022 a year of recovery for all.
Guterres went into detail about how to best recover on each front.
“The pandemic necessitates a daring plan to vaccinate everyone, everywhere,” he said.
In order to save the global economy, the UN Secretary-General stated that wealthier countries must provide “financing, investment, and debt relief” to developing countries.
Meanwhile, in order to heal from mistrust and division, he stated that a new emphasis on science, facts, and reason must be placed.
“At the same time, conflict recovery necessitates a renewed spirit of dialogue, compromise, and reconciliation, while restoring our planet necessitates climate commitments that match the scale and urgency of the crisis,” Guterres said.
The UN Secretary-General also acknowledged that times of great difficulty are also times of great opportunity to unite in solidarity.
“Let us make recovery our resolution for 2022,” the secretary-general advised.
