World in deeper crisis due to COVID-19, climate change: UN's Guterres

“The secretary-general of the U.N. has no power,” Guterres said. Russia and China are often at odds with the U.S., Britain and France on key issues, including Thursday on new sanctions against North Korea. Guterres is scheduled to deliver a speech to the 193 U.N. member nations in the General Assembly on Friday on his priorities for 2022. Many developing countries have very few resources, high debts that are growing and they pay much higher interest rates than in Europe or North America, have no vaccines, and disproportionately “suffer the impacts of climate change,” Guterres said. The secretary-general said he will be attending the Beijing Olympics in February “which is not a political act” but “to be present when all the world comes together for good – for a peaceful message.”