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UN PhotoDAVOS / WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM GUTERRES
STORY: DAVOS / WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM GUTERRES
TRT: 03:27
SOURCE: COURTESY OF WEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 JANUARY 2025, DAVOS, SWITZERLAND
1. Various shots, the Secretary-General walking up to the dais
2. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“It's good to be back in Davos. Your focus this year is on collaboration for the intelligent age, and it is a noble vision. But let's face it, when many people look around the world, they don't see much collaboration, and perhaps, to their minds, not enough intelligence. Despite progress on many fronts - investment in renewables, technological leaps, health advances - many of our old problems are getting worse. We are living in an increasingly rudderless world.”
3. Wide shot, António Guterres at the dais
4. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“From the Middle East to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond, we still face an uphill battle, but we will never give up in calling for peace, but peace grounded in values, the UN Charter international law, including international humanitarian law and the principles of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of states. Meanwhile, developing countries are in economic dire straits. Some are facing double digit inflation rates, while interest payments in Africa are earning up 27 percent of all government revenues on every front our system of governance are often ill equipped to deal with these challenges.”
5. Wide shot, António Guterres at the dais
6. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“But when it comes to existential threats, nuclear is no longer alone. Today, we face two new and profound threats that demand far more global attention and action because they threaten to upend life as we know it, the climate crisis and the ungoverned expansion of artificial intelligence.”
7. Wide shot, António Guterres at the dais
8. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Our fossil fuel addiction is a Frankenstein monster, sparing nothing and no one. All around us, we see clear signs that the monster has become master. We just endured the hottest year and the hottest decade in history. 2024 is likely to be the first calendar year that's pushed back past 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels. Now, breaching these limits does not mean the long-term goal of keeping the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees is shot. It means we need to fight even harder to get on track.”
9. Wide shot, António Guterres at the dais
10. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“AI can be used as a tool of deception. It can disrupt economies and labor markets, undermine trust in institutions and have chilling effects on the battlefield. AI could deepen inequalities by excluding those without the resources or tools to benefit from its promise. Once again, collaboration is critical.”
11. Wide shot, António Guterres leaves the stage
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, emphasizing the urgent need for global cooperation in tackling the world's growing challenges. “We are living in an increasingly rudderless world,” Guterres said.
“When many people look around the world, they don't see much collaboration, and perhaps to their minds, not enough intelligence,” Guterres said, reflecting on the forum’s theme of “collaboration for the intelligent age.” He noted progress in areas such as renewable energy and health but warned, “Despite progress on many fronts—investment in renewables, technological leaps, health advances—many of our old problems are getting worse.”
Guterres highlighted the persistence of global conflicts, including those in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Sudan, while reaffirming the UN’s commitment to peace. “We still face an uphill battle, but we will never give up in calling for peace—peace grounded in values, the UN Charter, international law, and the principles of sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of states,” he said.
The Secretary-General also warned of economic distress in developing nations, citing rising inflation and unsustainable debt burdens. “Some are facing double-digit inflation rates, while interest payments in Africa are eating up 27 percent of all government revenues,” Guterres noted. “On every front, our systems of governance are often ill-equipped to deal with these challenges.”
On existential threats, Guterres underscored the twin crises of climate change and artificial intelligence (AI). “When it comes to existential threats, nuclear is no longer alone. Today, we face two new and profound threats that demand far more global attention and action: the climate crisis and the ungoverned expansion of artificial intelligence,” he said.
He described humanity’s “fossil fuel addiction” as a “Frankenstein monster, sparing nothing and no one.” Guterres warned that 2024 had marked the hottest year and decade in history, with global temperatures breaching 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. “Now, breaching these limits does not mean the long-term goal of keeping the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees is shot. It means we need to fight even harder to get on track,” he urged.
On AI, Guterres cautioned against its misuse. “AI can be used as a tool of deception. It can disrupt economies and labor markets, undermine trust in institutions, and have chilling effects on the battlefield,” he said, adding that “AI could deepen inequalities by excluding those without the resources or tools to benefit from its promise. Once again, collaboration is critical.”
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