Guterres calls for new social contract, new global deal

Washington: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a New Social Contract and a New Global Deal to address inequality across the world.

COVID-19 is a human tragedy, but it has also created a generational opportunity to build back a more equitable and sustainable world, Xinhua news agency quoted Guterres as saying in his Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture address, which was delivered virtually on Saturday.

"The response to the pandemic, and to the widespread discontent that preceded it, must be based on a New Social Contract and a New Global Deal that create equal opportunities for all and respect the rights and freedoms of all.

" This is the only way that the world will meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development -- agreements that address precisely the failures that are being exposed and exploited by the pandemic, he said. A New Social Contract within societies will enable young people to live in dignity, will ensure women have the same prospects and opportunities as men, and will protect the sick, the vulnerable, and minorities of all kinds.