Kingstown, March 1.- UN Secretary General António Guterres warned about the number of civilian victims of the conflict in Gaza, a figure he considered unprecedented since he took office.
After his arrival in this capital for the eighth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), the head of the UN called for an international investigation after a hundred people died this Thursday in the enclave after an attack while they were waiting for aid delivery.
I believe that a situation like this would require an effective independent investigation to detect how it was possible and who was responsible, said the high representative in statements to the press.
Guterres welcomed the efforts to maintain peace in the Latin American region while in the world we see a proliferation of wars and conflicts of all kinds.
In this context, he considered it encouraging that Latin America and the Caribbean remain at peace, and mediation efforts prevail in conflicts such as the recent dispute between Guyana and Venezuela.
The head of the United Nations thanked the support of the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadine, Ralph Gonsalves, for his attention to any possibility of conflict, and his committed, active and effective mediation, as well as his firm commitment to the solution of the problems in Haiti.
The Secretary General mentioned the context in that country as one of the main challenges in the region while calling for effective political progress for the nation, a security system that makes it possible to put an end to gangs and crime, as well as more international support.
At the same time, he warned about the economic and climate challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean after the impact of COVID-19 and the chaos caused by global warming and natural disasters.
We now see so many economies on this continent drowning in debt, and we see that an unfair, ineffective and obsolete international financial architecture has proven incapable of supporting these countries in this time of distress, he reflected.
The head of the UN insisted on his calls for a reform of financial institutions and more support for developing countries in confronting the climate crisis.
It is time for a reform of our international financial institutions. It is time for a new Bretton Woods movement in which developing countries can see an international financial system capable of addressing the enormous challenges they face, he added. (Text and photo: PL)
