UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for multilateral cooperation to speed up development. He made the appeal at a special event to mark the 80th anniversary of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. Eighty years ago today, ECOSOC met for the first time. Along the way, the council has stayed true to its founding principles: fostering inclusive dialogue, forging commitments, promoting coordinated action, and mobilizing financing, said Guterres. Despite signs of real progress, he added, the world is in a precarious state. Conflicts rage, as military spending goes through the roof. Inequalities grow, while development funding is in free fall. Temperatures climb, yet responses are scaled up too slowly. Technology barrels ahead, threatening to leave humanity behind. Rights are violated, yet impunity reigns, he said. These intertwined crises cannot be solved with unilateral approaches or raw power. They demand urgent, collective responses. And ECOSOC can help lead the way, he said. But he cautioned that the council's continued success requires something more, especially in an era when multilateralism is under strain and trust is in short supply. He asked to give developing countries more meaningful participation in global financial institutions, triple the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, lift crushing debt burdens, and help developing countries move up global supply chains. Shotlist: UN Headquarters, New York City - Jan 23, 2026: 1. Special event marking 80th anniversary of the Economic and Social Council in progress; 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General: "So let us renew our commitment to safeguarding rights and speeding up development through multilateral cooperation. ECOSOC is an indispensable platform for global dialogue and action. Together, we can bridge the development divides, we can harness innovation for inclusion, and [not] inequality, and we can build a world anchored in peace, justice and shared prosperity."; 3. Attendees applauding; FILE: UN Headquarters, New York City - Date Unknown 4. UN headquarters building, other buildings; FILE: UN Headquarters, New York City - June 29, 2023 5. UN headquarters building; FILE: UN Headquarters, New York City - Date Unknown 6. UN emblem; 7. UN flag. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland, For news purpose only/No archive/Not for other production use]