The UN is only as strong as its 193 Member States want it to be

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished members of the United Nations, Coming back to the United Nations feels like coming back home. I am speaking today not only as a former Secretary-General but also as an Emeritus member of The Elders, the group of independent global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela who work for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet. I extend my special gratitude to the Security Council President for the month of December, his excellency Samuel Žbogar, the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations, for inviting me to speak today in this always-inspiring august Chamber. It has now been nine years since I left New York as UN Secretary-General. At that time, I felt a deep sense of fulfilment that the Paris Climate Change Agreement had entered into force. The Paris Climate Change Agreement was a triumph of human intellect, and a significant historical example demonstrating the efficacy and victory of multilateralism. Global leaders came together to address a truly global issue. That was one of the rare moments when all 193 Member States and two observer states - the Vatican and the State of Palestine - came together with all hands on deck. The adoption of the resolution was a great success for humanity and for the world. The adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals was another historic moment when all members came together. These are two important accomplishments of which I am proud to have served as Secretary-General of the United Nations. However, I departed the UN with both feelings of accomplishment and a heavy heart. This was a result of major political turmoil driven by ISIS terror, the bloody Syrian Civil War and ensuing refugee crisis; Brexit and rising global populism; geopolitical tensions surrounding Russia; and North Korea's 4th nuclear test and human rights violations. Now, compared to back then, the international situation appears to have deteriorated even further across multiple fronts. For that, I communicate my sincere consolations to my successor, Secretary-General António Guterres. This deeply disappointing situation is characterised by confrontation rather than cooperation among major powers. It is marked by the illegal invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine by a Security Council Permanent Member; conflict and mass civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip; and the weakening of international cooperation and erosion of multilateralism despite the escalating global climate crisis. This, in turn, has become a crisis for the United Nations.