UN chief calls for solidarity to deal with global challenges ahead of G20 summit   

BALI, Indonesia, Nov. 15 (Xinhua):   United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for global joint efforts to address global challenges such as climate change ahead of the upcoming 17th Group of 20 (G20) Summit. Terming climate change a “defining challenge” of the age, Guterres said at a press conference here that a “climate solidarity pact” is conducive to achieving the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Under the proposed pact, wealthy countries and international financial institutions would provide financial and technical assistance to help the emerging economies accelerate their energy transition, he said, adding that the G20 members could play a key role in the process. “The G20 leaders can make or break the climate solidarity pact,” he said. He also called on the G20 members to adopt a UN Sustainable Development Goals stimulus package, which will provide the Global South with the liquidity to invest in health care, education, gender equality and renewable energy. He also called for urgent actions to tackle the food crisis, ease the global fertilizer crunch, and accelerate the transition towards renewable energy.

“Action or inaction by the G20 will determine whether every member of our human family has a chance to live sustainably and peacefully on a healthy planet,” he noted. Themed “Recover Together, Recover Stronger,” the G20 summit, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, will focus on three priority issues, namely, global health architecture, sustainable energy transition and digital transformation.