UNITED NATIONS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- "Strengthening multilateralism means strengthening our commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and building a safer, more just world for future generations," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday.
In his message on the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, which will be observed on Wednesday, April 24, Guterres said that this first observance of the international day underscores the value of international cooperation for the common good.
For nearly 75 years, the multilateral arrangements established after the Second World War have saved lives, expanded economic and social progress, upheld human rights and, not least, helped to prevent a third descent into global conflagration, said the UN chief.
According to Guterres, this new International Day falls at a time when multilateral efforts are under pressure from unresolved conflicts, runaway climate change, widening inequalities and other threats.
"We are living with a paradox: global challenges are more connected, but our responses are growing more fragmented. We are seeing an increasing deficit of trust in governments, political establishments and international organizations, and the rising appeal of nationalist and populist voices that demonize and divide," he said.
"We need a networked multilateralism, with close cooperation among international and regional organizations, including development banks," said the secretary-general.
