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.”

The right to development is inextricably linked with trade which the world’s poorest countries - now “mired in debt” through no fault of their own - have every right to pursue on much fairer terms, UN chief António Guterres insisted. In a speech marking 60 years of UN Trade and Development – the agency previously known by the acronym UNCTAD - the UN Secretary-General highlighted the multiple challenges standing in the way of a more sustainable and inclusive global economy for all. 

A comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza linked to the release of all remaining hostages cannot come too soon, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, as he welcomed the Security Council resolution adopted a day earlier seeking an end to the war there. Speaking in Jordan at an international conference prompted by the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, Mr. Guterres insisted that after more than eight months of intense hostilities, “the horror must stop”. “I welcome the peace initiative recently outlined by President Biden and urge all parties to seize this opportunity and come to an agreement,” the UN chief said.