Guterres warns of powerful forces' undermining global cooperation'

"In January 1946, the general assembly's first resolution focused on disarmament and the elimination of atomic weapons as a global goal. Now, Guterres warns of a planet facing myriad threats that were then unthinkable, citing the climate crisis and threat from cyberspace at a time many countries are locked into a new arms race, though he will hold off from naming offending states."

"Last year, global military spending reached $2.7tn over 200 times the UK's current aid budget, or equivalent to over 70% of Britain's entire economy. The deepening investment in weaponry runs alongside his concerns that the drivers of climate breakdown are being wilfully ignored and online content is undermining democracy. As the planet broke heat records, fossil fuel profits continued to surge. And in cyberspace, algorithms rewarded falsehoods, fuelled hatred, and provided authoritarians with powerful tools of control, he will tell the London audience."

"Comments from the 76-year-old come at a time of chronic funding difficulties for the UN, largely driven by the decisions of the US president, Donald Trump. The US has announced it would be allocating just $2bn (1.5bn) to UN humanitarian assistance, a fraction of its previous contributions as the leading funder. The announcement came with a warning from the US state department that the global body must adapt, shri"

The 80th anniversary of the UN general assembly is observed at London's Methodist Central Hall, the site of the inaugural 1946 convening of delegates from 51 countries. The assembly's first resolution focused on disarmament and elimination of atomic weapons. Present-day threats include the climate crisis, cyberspace risks, and a renewed global arms race. Global military spending reached $2.7tn last year. Drivers of climate breakdown are being ignored while fossil fuel profits surge, and online algorithms reward falsehoods, fuel hatred, and enable authoritarian control. The UN faces chronic funding shortfalls, with the US allocating $2bn to humanitarian assistance and urging institutional adaptation.

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