Activities of Secretary-General in Italy, 12-15 June
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, arrived in Brindisi from Geneva on Wednesday evening, 12 June.
On Thursday, he celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the United Nations Global Service Centre.
Mr. Guterres said that the Centre is a beacon of service in a troubled world. He noted the ways in which the Centre ensured business continuity for the UN during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided lifesaving supplies to people facing disasters and conflicts from Türkiye to Gaza to Sudan, and helped carry out the effective drawdown and closure of large UN missions, including in Darfur and Mali. (See Press Release SG/SM/22273.)
The Secretary-General then travelled by road to Borgo Egnazia, Italy, where he would participate in the Group of Seven (G7) summit.
As outlined in his press conference in Geneva, the Secretary-General carried a number of messages to the G7 — notably on climate change, artificial intelligence (AI) and reform of the international financial architecture
He encouraged the G7 to step up and go further, faster in climate action by showing greater climate solidarity.
He reiterated his call for real reform of the international financial architecture so that it better represents developing countries and responds to their needs.
On AI, he told the gathering that these technologies must support human rights, sustainable development, and benefit all humanity instead of racing ahead of regulation, exacerbating power imbalances, further concentrating wealth and raising tensions and divisions. He highlighted the recommendations of his Advisory Panel on Artificial Intelligence in that regard.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Secretary-General held a number of informal discussions with other leaders in attendance.