With global tensions rising and ¡°reckless actions¡± triggering dangerous consequences, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres on Thursday called for renewed efforts on peace, justice and sustainable development as he outlined his priorities for 2026 ¨C the final year of his tenure.
29 January 2026 - 2026 ¡°is already shaping up to be a year of constant surprises and chaos,¡± he told journalists in New York.
Mr. Guterres ¨C who trained as a physicist before entering public life ¨C said that during times of profound flux, he returns to fixed principles that explain how forces act.
Generating 'positive reactions'
Among them is Newton¡¯s Third Law of Motion which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
¡°As we begin this year, we are determined to choose actions that generate concrete and positive reactions,¡± he said.
¡°Reactions of peace, of justice, of responsibility, and of progress in our troubled times.¡±
Chain reaction
Today, impunity is driving conflicts ¨C fueling escalation, widening mistrust, and allowing powerful spoilers to enter from every direction.
¡°²Ñ±ð²¹²Ô·É³ó¾±±ô±ð,&²Ô²ú²õ±è;the slashing of humanitarian aid is generating its own chain reactions of despair, displacement, and death,¡± as inequalities deepen.
He highlighted climate change ¨C ¡°the most literal and devastating illustration of Newton¡¯s principle¡± ¨C as actions that heat the planet trigger storms, wildfires, hurricanes, drought and rising seas.