UN Secretary-General António Guterres gives talk on future of UN in London

As reported by the Guardian, a major theme of the speech was the need for UN reform in order to deal with emerging global challenges. In particular, he stressed the need for the UN to be more proactive: for example, anticipating and helping prevent conflict in the area of peacekeeping; and helping support member states, especially fragile states, to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. His vision also encompassed a more integrated approach for the three main pillars of the UN's work: Peacekeeping; Sustainable Development; and Human Rights. He expressed the importance of communicating to citizens that the UN was not just a place where global problems are discussed, but that it is directly involved in actions that can help them. When questioned about knowing when to speak out on global issues, he answered, "There is one thing that must be clear for me.The objective is to serve people. The objective is not to have protagonism, or to be in the media, or to be in the news, or to become popular. The objective is to serve people." And when asked what gave him hope, he referred back to his work as UN High Commisioner for Refugees, citing the inspiration he received from the creativity, commitment and resilience of refugees as his reason for seeking the office of Secretary-General.