UN urges leaders to resolve the world's 'mess'
The United Nations chief on Wednesday urged world leaders due to convene next week to save a planet in crisis as it grapples with climate change, war, inflation, inequality and other woes.
"People are looking to their leaders for a way out of this mess," Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, days before the annual UN General Assembly, which is due to bring together leaders from around the world.
Guterres said the war in Ukraine was aggravating geopolitical divisions and these could be eased through peace in line with the UN charter and international law.
But he sounded pessimistic on the prospect of negotiations to end the war triggered by the Russian invasion 18 months ago.
"I would love to have a chance to be able to mediate in order to have peace talks, but I think we are far from that to be possible," Guterres said.
He said he would concentrate on resurrecting an agreement with Russia that allowed Ukraine safe passage to export grain via the Black Sea.
Guterres said he will meet next week with key players to the accord such as President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.
The accord was negotiated under the aegis of Turkey and the UN in the summer of 2022. It was key to easing food prices that shot up around the world as key grain producer Ukraine could not export due to the war.
Russia pulled out of the accord in July, arguing that Western sanctions were preventing it from exporting its own farm goods and fertilizer as per a memorandum parallel to the Ukraine grain deal.
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