Citing Renewable Energy Applications, Secretary-General Says Know-How, Technology Can Serve Human Rights, Common Good, in Message for World Engineers Convention

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the World Engineers Convention, in Prague today:

I am pleased to send my greetings to the World Engineers Convention as you gather in Prague.

As an engineer by training, I am a firm believer in the infinite capacity of the human mind to solve problems.  And I know that when we work together, there is no limit to what we can achieve.

We have great tests before us.  The climate crisis is spiralling out of control.  Poverty is rising; inequalities are widening; and the Sustainable Development Goals are far off track.  New technologies — particularly artificial intelligence — are giving rise to ethical, legal, and political concerns that require multilateral solutions.

We need to come together for common solutions and governance tools, so that technology serves human rights and the common good.  The good news is that we have the scientific know-how and the technology we need to design and build a better future.  Engineers are critical.  We need you.

That is why we have established initiatives such as the Council of Engineers on the Energy Transition.  The Council draws on the technical expertise only engineers can bring, and is working for practical, accessible, and cost-effective technological pathways to accelerate the renewable energy revolution at scale.

‘Engineering for life’ is more than a theme — it’s our shared mission.  I count on you to keep innovating and working together towards engineering a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow for all.