New Delhi, Sep 13: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday made a strong appeal for peace, saying the world needs an end to conflicts stretching from Gaza and the wider Middle East to Ukraine, Sudan and other troubled regions.
Addressing the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Guterres said peace was critical to achieving inclusive and sustainable global growth. His remarks came as leaders and senior representatives from countries directly involved in several ongoing conflicts and regional tensions attended the gathering.
“From Gaza, to the broader crisis in the Middle East, to Ukraine, Sudan and beyond, our world needs peace,” Guterres said.
The UN chief stressed that all countries must uphold their responsibilities under the UN Charter and international law. He highlighted the importance of respecting territorial integrity and political independence, sovereign equality, freedom of navigation, peaceful resolution of disputes, as well as international humanitarian and human rights law.
The summit brought together leaders from across the BRICS grouping, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Guterres also linked his appeal for peace to the summit’s broader focus on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, saying these principles were necessary for promoting more inclusive global economic growth.
His comments came shortly after BRICS members adopted a joint declaration expressing concern over rising tensions in the Middle East and West Asia. The declaration called on all sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid steps that could further escalate the situation.
On Gaza, the BRICS statement called for maintaining the ceasefire, reaffirmed support for the rights of Palestinians and rejected their displacement. The declaration also voiced grave concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Sudan and called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
The joint statement, however, did not specifically mention the Ukraine conflict. This marked a contrast with last year’s BRICS declaration in Brazil, which briefly acknowledged the differing positions taken by member states on the war in international forums.
Guterres’ intervention at the New Delhi summit underscored the UN’s continuing call for diplomacy, respect for international law and peaceful solutions to conflicts as the BRICS grouping seeks to strengthen cooperation on global economic and political challenges.
