Gaza, Ukraine & Other Topics | UN Chief & European Commission Press Conference | United Nations

Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged the Israeli authorities “to ensure complete and unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza and for the international community to fully support our humanitarian efforts”.

Speaking from Brussels where he is holding meetings with European Union representatives, the UN chief also repeated his call to “keep doing everything to stop the killing, reach an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and secure the unconditional release of the hostages”.

Today (20 March), in Brussels, the Secretary-General António Guterres attended a working lunch organized by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission.

Before the lunch, they had a joint press encounter on which the Secretary-General said they are meeting at a particularly dark moment, when Europe’s role on the global stage is more important than ever.

On the situation in Ukraine, the Secretary-General reiterated his call for a just peace – respecting the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders.

On Gaza, he said that as more than half of the population – over a million people – are facing catastrophic hunger, he called on the Israeli authorities to ensure complete and unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza and for the international community to fully support our humanitarian efforts.

We must keep doing everything to stop the killing, reach an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and secure the unconditional release of the hostages, he added.

Beyond these wars, mistrust and division rule the day, Guterres said. Multilateralism and solidarity are in the DNA of the European Union. And as we prepare for the UN Summit of the Future in September, he urged the EU and its Member States to keep pushing for a more inclusive, effective, and resilient international system.