Guterres warns: A winter of social discontent is coming

THE Secretary General of the United Nations warned today, Tuesday before world leaders, that a “winter of social discontent” is on the horizon due to the series of crises affecting humanity, from the war in Ukraine to the effects of climate change.

“The crisis of purchasing power is erupting, trust is crumbling, inequalities are exploding, our planet is on fire,” and yet “we are blocked by a colossal global dysfunction,” Antonio Guterres said in his opening address to the annual General UN Assembly.

“These crises threaten the very future of humanity and the fate of the planet. We’re not kidding. We are in rough seas. A winter of social discontent is on the horizon,” he stressed.

Despite the dangers, the international community has been “paralyzed,” Guterres noted, describing “a threat of dangerous divisions between the West and the South.”

“Geopolitical divisions are undermining the work of the Security Council, undermining international law, undermining people’s trust and faith in democratic institutions,” he explained. “We cannot continue like this,” he stressed.

Guterres called on rich countries to tax the profits of the fossil fuel sector to redistribute the revenue to countries affected by climate change and to populations hit by inflation.

“Today, I call on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies and invest those revenues in two ways: in countries plagued by loss and damage caused by climate change, and in segments of the population facing hardship due to of rising food and energy prices,” Guterres said.

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