YouSaid · the spoken record

The Secretary-General

lines on the record: 436
first: 1992-01-31
most recent: 2023-12-08
sittings or episodes: 52
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting of the Security Council in response to my letter dated 6 December 2023 on the situation in Gaza and Israel (S/2023/962).”
2023-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9498 (2023) · source
“I commend the initiative of Ecuador to focus attention on the growing threats posed by transnational organized crime. Often invisible but always insidious, transnational organized crime is a vicious threat to peace, security and sustainable development wherever it operates. And it operates everywhere — in all countries, rich and poor, North and South, developed and developing. Meanwhile, cyberspace is a virtual El Dorado for criminals.”
2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source
“Ultimately, we know that the measure of success will not be the number of trucks dispatched or the tons of supplies delivered, as important as those are. Success will be measured in the lives saved, suffering ended and hope and dignity restored. The people of Gaza are in the midst of an epic humanitarian catastrophe before the eyes of the world. We must not look away. Intense negotiations are taking place to prolong the truce — which we strongly welcome — but we believe that we need a true humanitarian ceasefire. We must ensure that the people of the region finally have a horizon of hope by moving in a determined and irreversible way towards establishing a two-State solution on the basis of United Nations resolutions and international law, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“A humanitarian notification system is now in place and is being constantly reviewed and enhanced, including through plans for additional civil-military experts to support coordination. I welcome the adoption of resolution 2712 (2023), but its implementation by the parties matters most. In accordance with the resolution, I will revert to the President of the Security Council with a set of options on effectively monitoring the implementation of the resolution. I have already established a working group composed of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the Department of Peace Operations, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Office of Legal Affairs to urgently prepare proposals in that regard. So far, it is clear that implementation has been only partial at best and is woefully insufficient.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“It is important to recognize that the Rafah border crossing does not have enough capacity, especially taking into account the slow pace of security procedures. That is why we have been urging for opening other crossings, including Kerem Shalom, and for streamlining inspection mechanisms to allow the necessary increase of life-saving aid. But humanitarian aid alone will not be sufficient. We also need the private sector to bring in critical basic commodities to replenish the completely depleted shops in Gaza. Lastly, paragraph 5 of resolution 2712 (2023) underscores “the importance of coordination, humanitarian notification and deconfliction mechanisms, to protect all medical and humanitarian staff, vehicles, including ambulances, humanitarian sites, and critical infrastructure, including United Nations facilities”.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Paragraph 4 of resolution 2712 (2023) calls on “all parties to refrain from depriving the civilian population in the Gaza Strip of basic services and humanitarian assistance indispensable to their survival, consistent with international humanitarian law”. Much more is required to begin to address the human needs in Gaza. Water and electricity services must be fully restored. Food systems have collapsed, and hunger is spreading, particularly in the north. The sanitary conditions in shelters are appalling, with few toilets, and with sewage flooding posing a serious threat to public health. Children, pregnant women, older people and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk. Gaza needs an immediate and sustained increase in humanitarian aid including food, water, fuel, blankets, medicines and health-care supplies.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Paragraph 3 of resolution 2712 (2023) calls for “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups”. The arrangement announced on 22 November has so far led to the release, over five days, of 60 hostages — 29 women and 31 children — held by Hamas and other groups since 7 October. Outside the arrangement, another 21 hostages were released during the same period. That is a welcome start, but as I have been saying from day one, all the hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. Until then, they must be treated humanely, and the International Committee of the Red Cross must be allowed to visit them. The arrangement has also seen the release of 180 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Israeli jails, mostly women and children.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Civilians in Gaza need a continuing flow of life-saving humanitarian aid and fuel into and across the area. Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all in need is critical. Humanitarian partners have carried out several medical evacuations from north to south Gaza, including to transport dozens of premature babies as well as spinal and dialysis patients from Al Shifa Hospital and Al Ahli Anglican Hospital. Several critically ill patients have also been evacuated for treatment in Egypt. Hospitals across Gaza lack the basic supplies, staff and fuel needed to deliver primary health care at the scale required, let alone to safely treat urgent cases. The medical system has broken down under the heavy caseload, acute shortages and the impact of the hostilities.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Prior to that, minimal or no assistance had reached those locations, even as tens of thousands of people had crowded there for shelter. Also, for the first time, supplies of cooking gas entered Gaza, where people waited in lines that stretched for two kilometres. In the south, where the needs are dire, United Nations agencies and partners have increased both the amount of aid delivered and the number of locations reached. I would like to express my appreciation to the Government of Egypt for its contribution to making that assistance possible. However, the level of aid to Palestinians in Gaza remains completely inadequate to meeting the huge needs of more than 2 million people. Although the total volume of fuel allowed into Gaza has also increased, it remains utterly insufficient to sustain basic operations.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Paragraph 2 of resolution 2712 (2023) calls for “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip […] to enable […] full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access”. I welcome the arrangements reached by Israel and Hamas with the assistance of the Governments of Qatar, Egypt and the United States. We are working to maximize the positive potential of that arrangement for the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The pause has enabled us to enhance the delivery of aid into and across Gaza. For example, for the first time since 7 October, an inter-agency convoy has delivered food, water, medical supplies and shelter items to northern Gaza, specifically to four UNRWA shelters in Jabalia camp.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“The agency has verified 104 incidents impacting 82 UNRWA installations, 24 of which have happened since the adoption of resolution 2712 (2023). A total of 218 internally displaced people sheltering in UNRWA schools have reportedly been killed and at least 894 injured. In addition, it is with immense sadness and pain that I have to report that since the beginning of the hostilities, 111 members of our United Nations family have been killed in Gaza. That represents the largest loss of personnel in the history of our Organization. Let me put it plainly. Civilians, including United Nations personnel, must be protected. Civilian objects, including hospitals, must be protected. United Nations facilities must not be hit. International humanitarian law must be respected by all parties to the conflict at all times.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“The nature and scale of the death and destruction are characteristic of the use of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas, with a significant impact on civilians. At the same time, rocket attacks on population centres in Israel by Hamas and other groups have continued, along with allegations of those groups’ use of human shields. That is also inconsistent with obligations under international humanitarian law. I want to stress the inviolability of United Nations facilities, which today are sheltering more than 1 million civilians seeking protection under the United Nations flag. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has shared the coordinates of all its facilities across the Gaza Strip with all the parties to the conflict.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“It is deeply moving to see civilians finally having a respite from the bombardments, families being reunited and life-saving aid increasing. Paragraph 1 of resolution 2712 (2023) demands “that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians, especially children”. It is clear that before the pause we witnessed serious violations. Beyond the many civilians killed and wounded of whom I have already spoken, 80 per cent of the people of Gaza have now been forced from their homes. That growing population is being pushed towards an ever-smaller area of southern Gaza, and of course nowhere is safe in Gaza. Meanwhile, an estimated 45 per cent of all homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“According to the de facto authorities, more than 14,000 people have been killed since the start of the Israeli military operations in Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have also been injured, with many more missing. In Gaza, more than two thirds of those killed are reported to be children and women. In a matter of weeks, a far greater number of children have been killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza than the total number of children killed in any year by any party to a conflict since I have been Secretary-General, as the annual reports on children and armed conflict that I have submitted to the Security Council clearly indicate. In the past few days the people of the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel have finally seen a glimmer of hope and humanity in so much darkness.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“I welcome this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the implementation of resolution 2712 (2023). My Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, will follow with his regular monthly briefing. Resolution 2712 (2023) was adopted in a context of widespread death and wholesale destruction unleashed by the conflict in Gaza and Israel. According to Israeli authorities, more than 1,200 people were killed — including 33 children — and thousands were injured in the abhorrent acts of terror by Hamas on 7 October. Some 250 people were also abducted, including 34 children. There are also numerous accounts of sexual violence during the attacks that must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted. Gender-based violence must be condemned — anytime, anywhere.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“It is past time for action to ensure women and young people’s meaningful participation and leadership in decision-making, to eradicate all forms of violence against women and to uphold women’s rights.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“I have put forward proposals for a New Agenda for Peace in a time of rising tensions and proliferating conflicts. Those ideas are framed around core principles that are foundational to the Charter of the United Nations and to a stable world. We offer extensive thoughts that recognize the interlinked nature of the many challenges we face, and that clearly reflect our commitment to linking actions for peace with the Sustainable Development Goals more firmly. That begins with more determined action to strengthen prevention, anchored in full respect for all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural. It also calls for the transformation of gendered and intergenerational power dynamics across the board, including in peace and security.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“My envoys and the United Nations special political missions are facilitating political processes, mediating and preventing the eruption of open conflict, and our Peacebuilding Commission is bringing the international community together around the mutually reinforcing nature of peace and development. I call on Member States to strengthen the Commission and enhance the effectiveness of its work. The Security Council, in particular, could be more systematic in seeking the advice of the Commission on the peacebuilding dimensions of the mandates of peace operations, and our peace operations should be empowered to play a greater role in sustaining peace at all stages of conflict and in all its dimensions. We are proud of our work, but we also know that more must be done to join up humanitarian, peace and development efforts.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“I have also proposed a set of concrete actions that we can take now, including an SDG stimulus of $500 billion a year to reduce debt burdens and release resources for long-term, affordable financing from multilateral and private sources, because investing in development today means investing in a more peaceful tomorrow. Each and every day, the women and men of the United Nations are bringing the link between peace, development and justice to life in our work around the world. Our United Nations country teams are spearheading efforts to support national priorities for sustainable and inclusive development. Our United Nations peacekeeping operations are assisting Member States as they manage and resolve conflicts.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“Developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, are being battered by a perfect storm of crises — crushing debt burdens, evaporating fiscal space and soaring prices, escalating climate catastrophe, widening inequalities and worsening unemployment and poverty, as well as the lingering effects of the coronavirus disease pandemic and unequal recovery. It is a recipe for social strife, political instability and, ultimately, open conflict. We must do more to support countries in dire straits. I have been advocating for bold steps to make our global institutions, including the international financial architecture, more representative of today’s realities and more responsive to the needs of developing economies.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“Building peace means strengthening resilience to climate shocks and investing in adaptation. Building peace means closing the digital divide and harnessing the benefits of digital inclusion, while protecting against the potential perils of new technologies. Building peace means balancing the scales of power and participation equally for women and creating opportunities for young people. Building peace means scaling up affordable long-term financing for developing countries everywhere so that they can invest in public goods and services for their peoples. At a time when 85 per cent of the SDG targets are off track, we must act on this understanding with far greater urgency and ambition.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“With ever-worsening climate emergencies, record heat and growing competition for dwindling resources, people are forced to move and vulnerabilities and insecurities skyrocket. Organized crime and violent extremist and terrorist groups find fertile ground in such environments, fraying the social fabric and further aggravating insecurities and corroding effective governance. But just as the lack of development feeds grievances that can increase the risk of conflict, the reverse is also true. Human development lights the way to hope, promoting prevention, security and peace. That is why advancing peace and advancing sustainable, inclusive development go hand in hand. Building peace means ensuring food security, access to education and the development of skills, health care, social protection and dignity for all.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“Just as progress towards one Goal lifts all others, failure in one area risks reversing gains across the board. And no failure is more calamitous than the failure to prevent conflict. Indeed, development gains are often among the first casualties of war. We see this pattern play out across the world: the closer a country is to conflict, the farther it is from sustainable and inclusive development. Nine of the 10 countries with the lowest human development indicators have experienced conflicts or violence in the past 10 years. Inequalities and lack of opportunities, decent jobs and freedom can breed frustration and raise the spectre of violence and instability. Weak institutions and corruption increase the risk of conflict. Climate chaos and environmental degradation are further crisis multipliers.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“I thank the Government of China for convening this debate on the vital link between development and sustaining peace. This link has defined the United Nations from the very start. Our Organization is built on three pillars: peace, development and human rights. This has been reaffirmed time and again. The 2005 World Summit Outcome declared that “development, peace and security and human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing” (General Assembly resolution 60/1, para. 9). Development by itself is not enough to secure peace, but development is essential, and no peace is secure without inclusive and sustainable development that leaves no one behind. Of course, this recognition also defines the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“The Secretary-General (spoke in Portuguese; English text provided by the Secretariat): I thank you, Mr. President, for inviting me to brief the Council on this vital issue, and for reminding us of the key contribution Bertha Lutz made to the Charter of the United Nations and to women’s rights.”
2023-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9452 (2023) · source
“On this United Nations Day, at this critical hour, I appeal to all to pull back from the brink before the violence claims even more lives and spreads even further.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451 (2023) · source
“Israelis must see their legitimate needs for security materialized, and Palestinians must see their legitimate aspirations for an independent State realized, in line with United Nations resolutions, international law and previous agreements. Finally, we must be clear on the principle of upholding human dignity. Polarization and dehumanization are being fuelled by a tsunami of disinformation. We must stand up to the forces of antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry and all forms of hate. Today is United Nations Day, marking 78 years since the Charter of the United Nations entered into force. That Charter reflects our shared commitment to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451 (2023) · source
“Without fuel, aid cannot be delivered, hospitals will not have power and drinking water cannot be purified or even pumped. The people of Gaza need continuous aid delivery at a level that corresponds to the enormous needs. That aid must be delivered without restrictions. I salute our United Nations colleagues and humanitarian partners in Gaza working under hazardous conditions and risking their lives to provide aid to those in need. They are an inspiration. To ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer and facilitate the release of hostages, I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Even in this moment of grave and immediate danger, we cannot lose sight of the only realistic foundation for true peace and stability — a two-State solution.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451 (2023) · source
“The protection of civilians is paramount in any armed conflict. Protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields. Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than 1 million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself. I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: no party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law. Thankfully, some humanitarian relief is finally getting into Gaza; but it is a drop of aid in an ocean of need. In addition, our United Nations fuel supplies in Gaza will run out in a matter of days. That would be another disaster.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451 (2023) · source
“We must demand that all parties uphold and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, take constant care in the conduct of military operations to spare civilians and respect and protect hospitals and respect the inviolability of United Nations facilities, which today are sheltering more than 600,000 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces, the level of civilian casualties and the wholesale destruction of neighbourhoods continue to mount and are deeply alarming. I mourn and honour dozens of United Nations colleagues working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East — sadly, at least 35 and counting — killed in the bombardment of Gaza over the past two weeks. I owe to their families my condemnation of these and many other similar killings.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451 (2023) · source
“I respectfully note the presence among us of members of their families. It is important to also recognize that the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence, their economy stifled, their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing. But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Even war has rules.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451 (2023) · source
“With your permission, Mr. President, I will make a brief introduction and then ask my colleagues to brief the Security Council on the situation on the ground. The situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour. The war in Gaza is raging and risks spiralling throughout the region. Divisions are splintering societies. Tensions threaten to boil over. At a crucial moment like this, it is vital to be clear on principles, starting with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians. I have condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October acts of terror by Hamas in Israel. Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians, or the launching of rockets against civilian targets. All hostages must be treated humanely and released immediately and without conditions.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451 (2023) · source
“The Charter of the United Nations is our road map to a more peaceful world. The tools and mechanisms founded on the principles of the Charter are a how-to manual to resolve conflict. Together, our collective efforts over the years have contributed to preventing war on a global scale and saving millions of lives — through peacemaking and preventive diplomacy, United Nations peacekeeping operations, disarmament and non-proliferation efforts, humanitarian and development programmes and activities to promote human rights.”
2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source
“I urge the Council to exercise leadership with regard to artificial intelligence and show the way towards common measures we can take to ensure the transparency, accountability and oversight of AI systems. We must work together for AI that can bridge social, digital and economic divides rather than push us further apart. I urge Council members to join forces and build trust for peace and security. We need a race to develop AI for good, AI that is reliable and safe, that can end poverty, banish hunger, cure cancer, supercharge climate action and propel us towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. That is the race we need, and it is a race that is possible and achievable.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“The policy brief on a New Agenda for Peace will also call for negotiations to be concluded by 2026 on a legally binding instrument to prohibit lethal autonomous weapons systems that function without human control or oversight, and which cannot be used in compliance with international humanitarian law. I hope Member States will debate those options and decide on the best course of action to establish the AI governance mechanisms that are so urgently needed. In addition to the recommendations of the New Agenda for Peace, I urge agreement on the general principle that human agency and control are essential for nuclear weapons and should never be withdrawn. The Summit of the Future, to be held next year, will be an ideal opportunity for decisions on many of these inter-related issues.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“First, it will recommend that Member States develop national strategies on the responsible design, development and use of AI, consistent with their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law. Secondly, it will call on Member States to engage in a multilateral process to develop norms, rules and principles around military applications of AI, while ensuring the engagement of other relevant stakeholders. Thirdly, it will call on Member States to agree on a global framework to regulate and strengthen oversight mechanisms for the use of data-driven technology, including artificial intelligence, for counter- terrorism purposes.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“Let us be honest: there is a huge skills gap around AI in Governments and other administrative and security structures that must be addressed at the national and global levels. A new United Nations entity would gather expertise and put it at the disposal of the international community. And it could support collaboration on the research and development of AI tools to accelerate sustainable development. As a first step, I am convening a multistakeholder high-level advisory board for artificial intelligence that will report back on the options for global AI governance by the end of this year. My upcoming policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace will also make recommendations on AI governance to Member States.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“The Charter’s emphasis on protecting succeeding generations gives us a clear mandate to bring all stakeholders together around the collective mitigation of long-term global risks. AI poses just such a risk. I therefore welcome calls from some Member States for the creation of a new United Nations entity to support collective efforts to govern this extraordinary technology, inspired by such models as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The overarching goal of that body would be to support countries to maximize the benefits of AI for good, to mitigate existing and potential risks and to establish and administer internationally agreed mechanisms of monitoring and governance.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“And the AI for Good summits, hosted by the International Telecommunications Union, have brought together experts, the private sector, United Nations agencies and Governments around efforts to ensure that AI serves the common good. (spoke in English) The best approach would address existing challenges while also creating the capacity to monitor and respond to future risks. It should be flexible and adaptable and consider technical, social and legal questions. It should integrate the private sector, civil society, independent scientists and all those driving AI innovation. The need for global standards and approaches makes the United Nations the ideal place for that to happen.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“And thirdly, the private sector’s leading role in AI has few parallels in other strategic technologies. But we already have entry points. One is the 2018— 2019 guiding principles on lethal autonomous weapons systems, agreed through the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. I agree with the large number of experts who have recommended the prohibition of lethal autonomous weapons without human control. A second is the 2021 recommendations on the ethics of artificial intelligence agreed through UNESCO. The Office of Counter-Terrorism, working with the Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, has provided recommendations on how Member States can tackle the potential use of AI for terrorist purposes.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“Without action to address those risks, we are derelict in our responsibilities to present and future generations. (spoke in French) The international community has a long history of responding to new technologies with the potential to disrupt our societies and economies. We have come together at the United Nations to set new international rules, sign new treaties and establish new global agencies. While many countries have called for different measures and initiatives around the governance of AI, that requires a universal approach. And questions of governance will be complex for several reasons. First, powerful AI models are already widely available to the general public. Secondly, unlike nuclear material and chemical and biological agents, AI tools can be moved around the world while leaving very little trace.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“Deepfakes are just one new AI-enabled tool that, if unchecked, could have serious implications for peace and stability. And the unforeseen consequences of some AI-enabled systems could create security risks by accident. Look no further than social media. Tools and platforms that were designed to enhance human connection are now used to undermine elections, spread conspiracy theories and incite hatred and violence. Malfunctioning AI systems are another huge area for concern. And the interaction between AI and nuclear weapons, biotechnology, neurotechnology and robotics is deeply alarming. Generative AI has enormous potential for good and evil at scale. Its creators themselves have warned that much bigger, potentially catastrophic and existential risks lie ahead.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“Let us be clear: the malicious use of AI systems for terrorist, criminal or State purposes could cause horrific levels of death and destruction, widespread trauma and deep psychological damage on an unimaginable scale. AI-enabled cyberattacks are already targeting critical infrastructure and our own peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, causing great human suffering. The technical and financial barriers to access are low, including for criminals and terrorists. Both military and non-military applications of AI could have very serious consequences for global peace and security. The advent of generative AI could be a defining moment for disinformation and hate speech, undermining truth, facts and safety, adding a new dimension to the manipulation of human behaviour and contributing to polarization and instability on a vast scale.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“Today’s debate is an opportunity to consider the impact of artificial intelligence on peace and security, where it is already raising political, legal, ethical and humanitarian concerns. I urge the Council to approach this technology with a sense of urgency, a global lens and a learner’s mindset — because what we have seen is just the beginning. Never again will technological innovation move as slowly as today. AI is being put to work in connection with peace and security, including by the United Nations. It is increasingly being used to identify patterns of violence, to monitor ceasefires and more, helping to strengthen our peacekeeping, mediation and humanitarian efforts. But AI tools can also be used by those with malicious intent. AI models can help people to harm themselves and each other, at massive scale.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“The finance industry estimates that AI could contribute between $10 and $15 trillion dollars to the global economy by 2030. Almost every Government, large company and organization in the world is working on an AI strategy. But even its own designers have no idea where their stunning technological breakthrough may lead. It is clear that AI will have an impact on every area of our lives, including the three pillars of the United Nations. It has the potential to turbocharge global development, from monitoring the climate crisis to breakthroughs in medical research. It offers new potential to realize human rights, particularly on health and education. But the High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed alarm over evidence that AI can amplify bias, reinforce discrimination and enable new levels of authoritarian surveillance.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“I thank the United Kingdom for convening the first debate on artificial intelligence (AI) ever held in the Security Council. I have been following the development of AI for some time. Indeed, I told the General Assembly six years ago that AI would have a dramatic impact on sustainable development, the world of work and the social fabric. But like everyone here, I have been shocked and impressed by the newest form of AI — generative AI — which is a radical advance in its capabilities. The speed and reach of this new technology in all its forms are utterly unprecedented. It has been compared to the introduction of the printing press. But while it took more than 50 years for printed books to become widely available across Europe, ChatGPT reached 100 million users in just two months.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“Together, let us forge an alliance of peace, rooted in the values of human fraternity, rich in diversity, equal in dignity and rights and united in solidarity.”
2023-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9346 (2023) · source
“And it requires the intervention of faith leaders everywhere. The fact is that we see examples of intolerance in all societies and among all faiths today. It is the duty of religious leaders to prevent the instrumentalization of hatred among their followers. The declaration “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”, by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, is a model for compassion and human solidarity. It urges religious and political leaders to end wars, conflicts and environmental degradation. It calls on people of faith to recognize and respect one another, join hands and work together for the good of humankind. At this time of strife, let us all take inspiration from the declaration and renew our commitment to stand together as one human family.”
2023-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9346 (2023) · source
“Hate is rooted in ignorance and fear. But, when we enrich the soil of knowledge with facts, science and historical truth, hatred cannot spread like a deadly weed. That requires guaranteeing quality education for everyone, everywhere, including women and girls. That requires supporting education systems that instil respect for science and celebrate humankind in all its diversity. And it requires increased funding for education, peacebuilding and global solidarity. (spoke in English) Finally and fundamentally, we must strengthen the values of compassion, respect and human fraternity and secure free and safe civic spaces. They are our best antidote to the poison of discord and division. That demands action by all of us across international organizations, Governments, civil society and the private sector.”
2023-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9346 (2023) · source
“It proposes a code of conduct to help Member States, digital platforms and other stakeholders make the digital space more inclusive and safer for all, while defending the right to the freedom of opinion and expression and the right to access information. As part of Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), we are working on a global digital compact for an open, free, inclusive and secure digital future for all, firmly anchored in human rights and non-discrimination. (spoke in French) Secondly, as we move towards increasingly multi-ethnic and religiously diverse societies, we must also invest in social cohesion. We need to ensure that every community feels respected for its unique identity, while at the same time fully belonging to society as a whole. We must acknowledge diversity as an asset to any society, not a threat.”
2023-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9346 (2023) · source