UN chief calls for renewing commitment to better world for all

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for efforts to renew the commitment to a better world for all in his message for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which falls on Oct 17 annually.

This year's theme of "dignity for all in practice" must be "a rallying cry" for urgent global action, Guterres said, noting that inequalities are widening, national and household economies are battered by job losses, skyrocketing food and energy prices, and the gathering shadows of a global recession.

"At the same time, the climate crisis and raging conflicts are causing immense suffering, with the poorest people bearing the brunt," he said.

Speaking of the status quo of the Sustainable Development Goals, Guterres said that they "are being pushed far out of reach."

He called for actions to invest in people-centered solutions, saying that actions must be taken to support developing countries as they transition from planet-killing fossil fuels to renewable energy and job-creating green economies.