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UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted two escalating global threats, the climate crisis and the ungoverned expansion of artificial intelligence. These challenges, he warned, pose unprecedented risks to humanity and demand immediate, unified action from governments and the private sector.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum 55th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Guterres acknowledged AI’s immense potential but cautioned against the risks of leaving AI ungoverned. He emphasised the need for international collaboration, pointing to the Global Digital Compact adopted at the United Nations as a roadmap for harnessing digital technology responsibly.

“We must collaborate so that all countries and people benefit from AI’s promise and potential to support development and social and economic progress for all,” he said.

He also called on the private sector not to backtrack on their climate commitments, and for governments to “keep their promise to produce new, economy-wide national climate action plans this year.”

In a special address, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for a reform of social media governance across the European Union to curb misinformation and cyber harassment. He urged for stronger enforcement of the Digital Services Act and expanded powers for the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency.

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo announced yesterday at the meeting the creation of the world’s largest tropical forest reserve. The Kivu to Kinshasa Green Corridor Reserve will protect over 550,000 square kilometres of forest throughout the Congo River Basin.

"This historic, unprecedented initiative will transform not only our natural landscapes, but also the livelihoods of millions of our citizens,” he said, adding that the initiative goes far beyond environmental preservation and includes economic development.

As he prepares to assume the ASEAN chairmanship, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed optimism about the 10-nation union’s future and Malaysia’s role in it.

“The spirit of collaboration and esprit de corps between [ASEAN] leaders is unique,” he said, pointing to the contributions that closer regional integration in green energy has made to Malaysia’s emergence as a high-tech manufacturing powerhouse.