As the Summer Olympics and Paralympics get underway in Paris, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for global respect of the Olympic Truce – a custom of halting all hostilities from before to after the Games. In November, the UN General Assembly adopted a vote to observe the truce in Paris. “In a moment like this, it's important to say that the first recorded in history real peace initiative was the Olympic Truce,” Mr. Guterres said during a press encounter in the French capital alongside International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

The UN chief issued an urgent call to action to better protect billions around the world exposed to crippling effects of extreme heat, as global temperature rise continues unabated. The appeal comes against the backdrop of record temperatures and deadly heatwaves – from the United States to Africa’s Sahel and Europe to the Middle East – that have killed several hundred people this summer. “The message is clear: the heat is on. Extreme heat is having an extreme impact on people and planet. The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures.”

The United Nations launched new Global Principles for Information Integrity, emphasizing the need for immediate action to address the harms caused by misinformation, disinformation and hate speech. UN Secretary-General António Guterres outlined key recommendations aimed at making information spaces safer while at the same time upholding human rights such as freedom of speech. “At a time when billions of people are exposed to false narratives, distortions and lies, these principles lay out a clear path forward, firmly rooted in human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and opinion,” he said.

UN Secretary-General voiced profound concern over escalating violence and “bellicose rhetoric” between Israel and Hezbollah militants across the frontier with Lebanon, warning that one false move could trigger a catastrophe for the whole region and beyond. The situation along the Blue Line, the demarcation between Israeli and Lebanese armed forces, has been deteriorating since Israel launched its offensive in the Gaza Strip following the brutal 7 October attack by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups against communities in the country’s south.

Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the dual-edged nature of cyberspace, stressing its potential for both immense benefits and significant risks when misused. At a Security Council high-level debate on evolving threats in cyberspace, Mr. Guterres underscored the transformative power of digital technologies. “Breakthroughs in digital technologies are happening at warp speed; digital advances are revolutionising economies and societies,” he said. “They are bringing people together, providing citizens with access to government services and institutions and supercharging economies, trade and financial inclusion.”