In his New Year's message, Guterres calls on countries to significantly reduce emissions and "leave this road to ruin".

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In his New Year message on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for 2025 to be a "new beginning".

Reflecting on the year 2024, he said that "hope was hard to find", because wars cause enormous pain, suffering and displacement, and inequalities and divisions fuel tensions and mistrust.

"And today I can officially announce that we have just lived through a decade of deadly heat," He said.

No time to waste

The Secretary-General noted that the ten hottest years on record occurred in the past decade.

"This is a climate collapse - in real time. We need to leave this road to ruin - and we have no time to waste," He said.

"In 2025, countries must put the world on a safer path by significantly reducing emissions and supporting the transition to a renewable future. It is essential - and it is possible."

Hope is the engine of change

Mr. Guterres said that even in the darkest days "saw that hope drives change".

In this context, he highlighted activists of all ages who are raising their voices for progress, as well as "humanitarian heroes overcoming enormous obstacles to support the most vulnerable people".

The Secretary-General said he also sees hope in developing countries fighting for financial and climate justice and in scientists and innovators who are forging new paths for humanity.

He stressed that the Pact for the Future, adopted by UN member states last September, is a new impetus for peace-building through disarmament and prevention.

Other goals include reforming the global financial system, promoting more opportunities for women and youth, and ensuring that technology "put people before profits and rights before established algorithms".

Here he also stressed the need to always adhere to the values and principles enshrined in human rights, international law and the UN Charter.

United Nations

Finally, the Secretary-General said that there are no guarantees about what awaits us in 2025.

He pledged to stand with all those who seek a more peaceful, equal, stable and healthy future for all people.

"Together, we can make 2025 a new beginning," He said. "Not like a divided world. But as united nations."

Text UN Secretary-General António Guterres' New Year's video message on 2025:

Throughout 2024, it was hard to find hope. Wars cause immense pain, suffering and displacement. Inequalities and divisions are pervasive - fuelling tensions and mistrust.

And today I can officially announce that we have just experienced a decade of deadly heat. The ten hottest years on record have happened in the last ten years, including 2024. This is climate breakdown - in real time. We must leave this road to ruin - and we have no time to waste.

In 2025, countries must set the world on a safer path by significantly reducing emissions and supporting the transition to a renewable future. It is essential - and it is possible.

Even in my darkest days, I have seen that hope is a force for change. I see hope in the activists - young and old - who raise their voices for progress. I see hope in the humanitarian heroes who overcome enormous obstacles to support the most vulnerable. I see hope in developing countries fighting for financial and climate justice. I see hope in scientists and innovators who are opening up new possibilities for humanity. And I saw hope in September, when world leaders came together to adopt the Compact for the Future.

The Pact is a new impetus for peace-building through disarmament and prevention. Reform the global financial system to support and represent all countries. Promote more opportunities for women and young people. Build guardrails so that technology prioritises people over profits and rights over entrenched algorithms. And always adhere to the values and principles enshrined in human rights, international law and the UN Charter.

There are no guarantees about what awaits us in 2025, but I pledge to stand with all those who seek a more peaceful, equal, stable and healthy future for all people. Together, we can make 2025 a new beginning. Not a divided world. But as united nations.

UN/ gnews - RoZ