Davos - My Vision For A Revitalized U.N.

The new secretary-general calls for a “ surge in diplomacy for peace” in 2017.

- Antonio Guterres

WHEN I WAS growing up reading history books as a young student, it seemed all wars had a winner. Yet in today’s wars, it is increasingly clear that no one wins. Everyone loses.

Look no further than the horrifying bloodshed in Syria. A conflict in one country is creating instability on a global scale. Years of brutal fighting have brought chaos to an entire region, with tremors felt around the world. Decades of economic development have been reversed. Millions more children and young people are vulnerable to the cycle of dispossession, underdevelopment, radicalization and conflict.

Around the world, conflicts have become more complex and interlinked—producing gross violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses. People are fleeing their homes on a scale not seen for decades. Global terrorism threatens every region. Meanwhile, climate change, population growth, rapid urbanization, food insecurity and water scarcity are adding to the tensions and instability.

The greatest shortcoming of the international community today is its failure to prevent conflict and maintain global security. As secretary-general of the United Nations, I have called for a surge in diplomacy for peace and appealed for 2017 to be a year for peace.

The United Nations was born from war. Today, we must be here for peace.