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The Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, defended this Thursday an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and called for peace in Lebanon and Ukraine, when speaking at the meeting of the BRICS, a bloc of the main emerging economies, with the countries of the Global South.
“We need peace everywhere. “We need peace in Gaza with an immediate ceasefire and an immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages,” said Guterres during the meeting, held in the Russian city of Kazan, where the BRICS summit, hosted by the group, ends this Thursday. to Russian President Vladimir Putin. .
In his speech, and also regarding the situation in the Middle East and the different combat fronts (Gaza and Lebanon), the UN leader stated that it is necessary to distribute humanitarian aid effectively and achieve “irreversible” progress to “put end the Israeli occupation” and implement the two-state solution (Palestine and Israel).
“We need peace in Lebanonwith an immediate cessation of hostilities, moving forward in the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701,” added Guterres, recently declared ‘persona non grata’ by the Israeli Government, referring to the resolution that ended a conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah in 2006.
Resolution 1701 provides for the cessation of hostilities on both sides of the border and that only UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army can be deployed in southern Lebanon.
On Russian soil, Guterres also called for peace in Ukraine: “A just peace, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the resolutions of the General Assembly.”
Ukraine criticizes Guterres for traveling to Russia to meet with “war criminal” Vladimir Putin
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24, 2022, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since the Second World War (1939-1945).
The UN Secretary General also called for an agreement in Sudan and the defense of “the values of the Charter of the United Nations, the rule of law and the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all States.”
This Thursday marks United Nations Day, which marks the anniversary of the entry into force, in 1945, of the United Nations Charter.
The UN Secretary General also recalled the four challenges that the Future Summit, promoted by the multilateral organization last September, established for the areas of finance, climate, technology and peace.
“The Future Summit marked the path to strengthen multilateralism, global development and security. “Now we must turn words into actions,” concluded Guterres.
On the sidelines of the BRICS summit, a meeting between Guterres and Putin is expected, the first meeting between both representatives since 2022.
The BRICS group, founded informally in 2006 and holding its first summit in 2009, includes countries representing about a third of the world economy and more than 40% of the world’s population.
Currently part of the bloc are Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Source: Observadora
