While the COVID‑19 pandemic represents a stress test for the international community, it is also an opportunity to build a fairer, greener global economy, the General Assembly heard today as it continued its general debate with pre‑recorded video messages from 35 Heads of State and Government around the world.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Maritime Day, observed on 24 September:

A ministerial meeting of the members of the International Support Group (ISG) for Lebanon co-chaired by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Foreign Affairs of France, was held on 23 September.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the high‑level event of the International Support Group for Lebanon, held today:

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the annual ministerial meeting of Foreign Ministers of landlocked developing countries, held today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the high-level event on “Digital Cooperation:  Action for Future Generations”, held today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the World Health Organization (WHO) event on “Infodemic Management:  Promoting healthy behaviours in the time of COVID-19 and mitigating the harm from misinformation and disinformation”, held today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the Sustainable Development Goals Business Forum, in New York today:

World leaders gathered in pre-recorded videos for an unprecedented opening of the General Assembly’s annual general debate today, as the United Nations Secretary-General described the epic upheaval wreaked by COVID-19 across the globe, wiping out decades of development gains and laying down an ultimatum for nations to stand united in weathering the human and economic onslaught.

Disarmament is at the heart of the collective security system set out in the Charter of the United Nations, with its goal to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”.