Pellegrini at UN: Crises in World Can Be Solved via Existing Institutions

New York, September 23 (TASR-correspondent) - Current political crises in the world can be addressed via existing international institutions, namely through pragmatic cooperation that can lead to increased trust among members of the United Nations (UN), said Slovak President Peter Pellegrini at the Summit of the Future 2024, one of the key events of the 79th UN General Assembly, in New York on Monday. At the very beginning of his speech, the president stated that there is a strong polarisation in the UN Security Council, which he believes can be overcome. "What was considered the very best in most sectors a decade ago is now below average. If this is true for business and everyday life, why should it not be true for politics and international cooperation?" Pellegrini asked. According to him, "pointless discussions" cannot be allowed in this case, as he believes has happened in the case of the debate on climate change and whether it is taking place at all. "We need to respond to facts, not deny them," stressed Pellegrini. The president named a number of current crises in the world - highlighting the unprecedented number of conflicts and violations of humanitarian law, along with the world's highest ever number of refugees and climate change. He also touched upon artificial intelligence, which he said could help in finding answers to crises. Addressing the development of technology, Pellegrini pointed to the need to protect people's digital identity, adding that it's becoming as important as physical identity. "We need to create conditions for what I call 'digital humanism'. That means we must define rights and obligations in the virtual world and - just as importantly - tools to enforce them effectively," he stressed. The president opined that the ability to express one's opinion in the digital environment should not be restricted, but should be guided by similar principles as in the real world. "That is, full accountability and clear identity," he explained. Pellegrini at the same time expressed his support for a Pact for the Future, the draft of which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on Sunday. The 42-page document aims to bring together states around the world - including those at odds with each other - to jointly tackle the challenges of the 21st century, including climate change, artificial intelligence, rising inequality and poverty. zel/mcs