UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called the international community to put away geopolitical divides and fighting to find practical solutions to the world's problems and promoting world peace and security despite many reasons for despair at an end-of-year press conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

He said that the world is now facing many trials: the cost of living is growing, inequalities are growing, many countries' debts are rocketing and geopolitical divides make it more difficult to solve these global problems. Despite these challenges, Guterres said that the international community should not sit on the sidelines, surrender to despair and disillusion and give up on international problem-solving and diplomacy as he believes that even though there are no perfect solutions, practical solutions will make a meaningful difference to people's lives.

He highlighted some remarkable progress in some regions and countries, saying that the agreement on a new Global Biodiversity Framework at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada forged a peace pact with nature, a cessation of hostilities in Ethiopia has paved way for civilians assistance, a framework for political dialogue to resolve the crisis has been created in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the truce in Yemen has delivered actual dividends for people.

Guterres specifically pointed out the global food supply. He said that the memorandum of understanding for unimpeded exports of Russian food and fertilizers to global markets is making a difference. Over 14 million metric tonnes of grain and other foodstuff have been shipped from Black Sea ports in Ukraine. Russian wheat exports have also multiplied three-fold, he added.

He mentioned that a majority of these wheat exports have been shipped to developing economies to support ongoing humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen. And thanks to declining food price, millions of people are kept from falling into desperation.

After pointing out the progress that the international community has achieved in the year, he said there is a lot of work that remains to be done, including the pursuit of peace in Ukraine, climate change, renewable energy revolution, and protection plans for humanity.

In his speech, he announced that he will convene a Climate Ambition Summit in September 2023 to address existential threats regarding the environment, adding the summit will be convened alongside a gathering of world leaders to accelerate action at the mid-way point of the Sustainable Development Goals.

"I call on every leader to step up – from governments, business, cities and regions, civil society and finance," Guterres said. "It will be a no-nonsense summit. No exceptions. No compromises. There will be no room for back-sliders, greenwashers, blame-shifters or repackaging of announcements of previous years," Guterres declared.

He pledged to make 2023 a year for peace, a year for action, saying that governments around the world have to fight back and act, to promote peace and security, advance the Sustainable Development Goals and address inequalities, reform the international financial system, ensure human rights for all and deliver a livable planet for humanity's future generations.