Informal comments to the press by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Ethiopia, Black Sea Initiative and COP27. The UN Secretary-General hailed today the full resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the signing of a cessation of hostilities agreement in Ethiopia as “hopeful news in a world churning in turmoil.” Speaking to journalists on Thursday (03 Nov) in New York, António Guterres said the two developments are “demonstrations of the power of multilateralism in action – and the value of discrete – but determined – diplomacy.” The UN chief recalled the last few days, when Russia temporarily suspended activities in the implementation of the initiative, saying “the world has come to understand and appreciate the importance of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.” Guterres also informed of a new milestone, with ten million metric tonnes of grain have been shipped through the Black Sea corridor in the just three months. “Despite all the obstacles we have seen, the beacon of hope in the Black Sea is still shining. The initiative is working,” said the Secretary-General. Now that the initiative has fully resumed, Guterres appealed to all parties to concentrate efforts in two areas: first, to renewal and full implementation of the Black Sea Initiative; second, to removing the remaining obstacles to the exports of Russian food and fertilizer. Moving on to Ethiopia, the Secretary-general noted that, just two weeks ago, he stood on the same spot “and raised the alarm about the spiraling conflict.” Guterres commended the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front for yesterday’s signing of a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities, highlighting the work of “the African Union’s High-Level Panel, President Obasanjo, President Kenyatta, and our former colleague Phumzile for their work in facilitating this agreement.” According to the UN chief, the agreement “is a critical first step that paves the way for the unimpeded delivery of lifesaving humanitarian aid and the resumption of public services.” Guterres also added that “the human cost of this conflict has been devastating” and urged “all Ethiopians to seize this opportunity for peace and I pledge the full support of the United Nations.” Ahead of this year’s UN Climate Conference (COP27), starting next Sunday (06 Nov), in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the UN chief noted that, instead of going down 45 percent by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions are on course to rise by 10 percent. According to Guterres, “that means our planet is on course for reaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible and forever bake in catastrophic temperature rise.” The Secretary-General said the world needs “to move from tipping points to turning points for hope.” For him, “that means urgently increasing ambition and trust – especially between North and South” and that “it is time for an historic pact between developed and the emerging economies.” The UN chief added that “COP27 must be the place to close the ambition gap, the credibility gap and the solidarity gap.” The event should also “put us back on track to cutting emissions, boosting climate resilience and adaptation, keeping the promise on climate finance and addressing loss and damage from climate change.” The Secretary-General concluded recalling his trip to Pakistan, where he witnessed one-third of the country under water, saying that “there is no way anyone can argue there is no loss and no damage.”

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