STORY: UN chief cautions military coups only worsen crises, urges democratic governance
DATELINE: Sept. 1, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:29
LOCATION: UN Headquarters
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrives
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secretary-General
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secretary-General

STORYLINE:

Addressing the recent series of military coups predominantly in Africa, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday underscored the importance of establishing lasting democratic governance backed by the rule of law.

Wednesday's military takeover in Gabon came on the heels of Niger last month, Burkina Faso in 2022, and Chad, Guinea, Sudan and Mali in the years prior to that.

The Gabonese military takeover was announced not long after the electoral authorities declared that President Ali Bongo had secured another term, even though there were allegations of electoral irregularities.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secretary-General
"Many countries face deep-seated governance challenges. But military governments are not the solution. They aggravate problems. They cannot resolve a crisis; they can only make it worse. I urge all countries to move quickly to establish credible democratic institutions and the rule of law."

Guterres pointed to the necessity of empowering international organizations like the African Union to play a pivotal role in the promotion of peace, democratic stability, and governance in Africa.

Moreover, he stressed that creating an environment that enables African populations to tackle the underlying reasons for political unrest is critical, with underdevelopment being a primary contributor.

Guterres also spoke of a series of high-profile upcoming trips, where he aims to drum up support for diplomacy and multilateralism, leading to the high-level opening of the UN General Assembly, in late September.

This weekend he will be going to the Africa Climate Summit in Kenya, and then travel to Indonesia to attend the 13th ASEAN-UN Summit. Next, he will head for India for the G20 Summit, and then go to Cuba for a Summit of the G-77 and China.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secretary-General
"I look forward to engaging with global leaders at these four very different summits before the world comes together for the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. Diplomacy is more important than ever to navigate the tensions of our emerging multipolar world. Dialogue remains the only way to find joint approaches and common solutions to the global threats and challenges that we face."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from UN Headquarters.
(XHTV)