People lack trust in government, institutions: United Nations chief

Dubai - To rebuild public trust in the UN, Guterres noted, the organisation must become "more nimble" and streamlined.

The world is facing a "terrible lack of confidence" in governments and multinational institutions and between countries, according to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Guterres - who also served as Prime Minister of Portugal between 1995 and 2002 and as UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015 - noted that although globalisation brought many benefits to the world, many have been left feeling that they have not benefitted from it.
"It is clear that globalisation brought a huge increase in wealth and a reduction in absolute poverty and improved welfare, but globalisation had its losers," he said. "I see lot of people feel left behind and that the political establishments of their countries have not taken care of them."
"It is clear that reform is needed to reconcile people with political establishments," he added. The lack of faith, he noted, extends to multinational organisations, including the UN.
"There is a clear lack of confidence in the Security Council today," he said. "Many international organisations lack efficiency and the capacity to respond effectively to the situations they face."
To rebuild public trust in the UN, Guterres noted, the organisation must become "more nimble" and streamlined. "We need to link peace and security to sustainable development," he said. "We need to reform our own way of doing business in the UN. We have rules and regulations that make it difficult to work effectively.
"Without trust, it will be very difficult to face the challenges we face today," Guterres added. A lack of public trust, he believes, creates breeding grounds for extremist or xenophobic ideologies. "This is the best ground for populists, xenophobes, and those that develop forms of anti-Muslim hatred or anti-semitism," he said. "We need to address the root causes."
Education is key to prosperity
Another speaker, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, noted that education is the "key" to a country's economic prosperity, a fact which requires that governments adapt to the needs of increasingly tech-savvy young people.
"Education is the fuel that runs the engine," he said. "The world is changing rapidly and for education to continue to fuel prosperity, systems must adapt."
Dubai, he noted, is the "perfect place to discuss the nexus of business, governments and education". "It offers a powerful example of how countries can channel markets and learning into prosperity for their people," he said. Helping young people, Kim remarked, begins at a very early age.
"We must invest heavily in the early years. Early childhood experiences have a profound and lasting impact," he said. "Today, millions of young children are not receiving what they need to reach their full potential.
"The fact that 25 percent of all children in the world are stunted is a global crisis," he added, noting that a failure to provide access to education is a "recipe for poverty, inequality and eventually instability." Additionally, Kim noted that education systems must do more to prepare young people for the realities of life in a multicultural world, and for their eventual roles in the workforce.
"What we teach, and what children learn, should reflect diversity of cultures and provide relevant skills," he said. "Education systems must provide relevant skills."
"We must dramatically increase our aspirations for both the quantity and quality of skills. If we fail, we'll leave behind a large population who, at no fault of their own, will struggle to find a decent job," he said.
"Providing our youth with the right skill set... will enable people to create their own jobs."
- bernd@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai