Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2020 shows a big screen displayed to create awareness on COVID-19 protective measures in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
GLOBAL SOLIDARITY
The pandemic has highlighted vulnerabilities to emerging threats such as bioterrorism and cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure.
"The world faces grave security challenges that no single country or organization can address alone," Guterres said, adding that "there is an urgent need for global unity and solidarity."
Recalling the UN's Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week in July, he reminded that participants called for a "reinvigorated commitment to multilateralism to combat terrorism and violent extremism."
However, a lack of international cooperation to tackle the pandemic has been "startling," Guterres said, highlighting national self-interest, transactional information sharing and manifestations of authoritarianism.
PEOPLE FIRST
The UN chief underscored the need to put people first, by enhancing information sharing and technical cooperation "to prevent terrorists exploiting the pandemic for their own nefarious goals" and thinking "long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes."
"This includes upholding the rights and needs of victims of terrorism... (and) the repatriation of foreign terrorist fighters, especially women and children, and their dependents to their countries of origin," he noted.
POST-COVID REBUILDING
The secretary-general also addressed the Centenary Summit of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) on how private and public sector cooperation can help drive post-COVID change.
He lauded the IOE's "significant contributions" to global policymaking for economic and social progress, job creation and a mutually beneficial business environment, calling it "an important pillar of the International Labour Organization (ILO) since its earliest days."
"Today, our primary task is to defeat the pandemic and rebuild lives, livelihoods, businesses, and economies," he told the virtual summit.
In building back, he underscored that workers and small businesses should be protected, and everyone be given the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
TRIPARTITE COOPERATION
ILO chief Guy Ryder highlighted the need for conscious policy decisions and tripartite cooperation to overcome transformational challenges, such as technological change and climate change, as well as COVID-19.
Ryder also flagged that employers must continue to collaborate in social dialogue and maintain their commitment to both multilateralism and the ILO.
The IOE represents more than 50 million companies and is a key partner in the international multilateral system for over 100 years as the voice of business at the ILO, across the UN, the G20 richest countries and other emerging forums.
