UN chief Guterres warns of possibility of 'new cold war' with grave nuclear undertones

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday warned that the world confronts the possibility of a new cold war "with nuclear undertones" and a rise in extreme nationalism during his speech at the Seton Hall University. He stated that every challenge is another sign that their world is deeply fractured, starting from the Middle East to the threat of a new cold war with grave nuclear undertones, to terrorism and sectarian fighting within countries rooted in ancient grievances, to an explosion of extreme nationalism that ignores the central truth that international solutions are always in the national interest.

As per the statement issued by the UN, Guterres also talked about climate change stating that he sees climate change, rising socio-economic inequality and the expansion of hunger and disease as a threat to the planet. He further warned that the world they were about to enter is dangerous, adding that from Yemen to Syria, Ethiopia to the Sahel and beyond there are conflicts and division on a scale not seen in decades. Speaking about the Ukraine crisis, he said the war is "creating great human pain, destruction and death."

Climate disaster is causing havoc: UN

Despite mountains of evidence of looming climate catastrophe, he said, "We still see mountains of funding for coal and fossil fuels that are killing our planet." Guterres' comments come a week after he presented a five-point strategy to promote renewable energy use around the world in the wake of a World Meteorological Organization research claiming that the last seven years had been the hottest on record. The proposal advocates for promoting technology transfer and lowering intellectual property protections in renewable technologies, as well as increasing access to renewable technology supply chains and raw materials.

On climate change, he stated that the climate disaster is causing havoc and that it is threatening to wipe out entire communities, if not the entire world. Talking to the students of Seton Hall University, he further said that his generation has failed to leave the world that the people of today's generation deserve. However, he also said that he has faith in today's student's ability to excel where the last generation fell short.

Image: AP