After three years lost due to the pandemic, the world should stop wasting time on geopolitical rivalries, ideological confrontations and geo-economic fragmentation, it is better to tackle common and long-term problems together, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia (BAF), a former UN Secretary General, said on Thursday Ban Ki-moon.
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“After so many crises, upheavals and surprises, it’s time to look ahead, it’s time to resume action to solve long-term and global problems. We don’t have much time left,” Ban Ki-moon said, speaking at the Boao Asian Economic Forum on the Chinese island Hainan.
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Ban Ki-moon noted the need to promote the global fight against climate change, stressing that despite all the international agreements and agreements reached, humanity does not have time to solve this problem, since the attention of the whole world is directed to the virus, conflicts, inflation and recession.
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“Global temperatures continue to rise, we have experienced seven of the hottest years on record, and there will undoubtedly be more if climate action keeps up with the pace of climate change,” he said.
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However, he said the problem remains that millions of people still live in extreme poverty.
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“For a while, the pandemic alone threatened to push some 100 million people back into poverty, and the real numbers could be even worse. The food and energy crisis that followed the conflict in Ukraine dealt another heavy blow to those who from all is trying to make ends meet,” he said.
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Ban Ki-moon noted that the past three years of the pandemic can be considered a window of missed opportunities in many respects, so it is necessary to make up for the losses as soon as possible.
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“Let’s not waste our precious and limited time on geopolitical rivalry, ideological confrontations and geo-economic fragmentation, let’s rather reunite to tackle our common and long-term problems,” he said.
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Ban Ki-moon added that the IMF predicts an even tougher year for the economy, and “this is again bad news for the stalled global fight against poverty, climate change and inequality.”
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The Asian Forum in Boao was established in 2001. Its tasks are to develop coordination and cooperation between Asian countries, intensify dialogue and economic ties with other regions of the world, create a platform for establishing a dialogue on economic, social and other issues between officials, entrepreneurs, specialists and scientists.
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This year the forum is held from 28 to 31 March under the motto “An Uncertain World: Unity and Cooperation to Overcome Challenges, Openness and Inclusion to Promote Development“. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the event is being held completely offline.
