UN chief calls for unity, hope in New Year’s message

Xinhua :
In a video message released on the eve of 2024, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the world, reflecting on the trials and tribulations of the past year and offering a vision of unity and hope for the year ahead.
“2023 has been a year of enormous suffering, violence, and climate chaos,” Guterres said. “Humanity is in pain, and our planet is in peril. 2023 is the hottest year on record.”
Highlighting the pressing global issues that have compounded the world’s challenges, the UN chief emphasized that poverty and hunger continue to afflict countless people, while conflicts and wars are multiplying in number and intensity. Trust, both among nations and within communities, is “in short supply.”