UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he is counting on the EU to be a bulwark against the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.
The former Portuguese prime minister was speaking on arrival yesterday in Brussels alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Ms von der Leyen congratulated Mr Guterres on his recent re-election as secretary general, saying the UN was "very lucky" and "very grateful" to have him at the helm.
“As a European, I’m particularly proud with the contribution that I consider the most important contribution of Europe to global civilisation – and that is in my opinion, the Enlightenment, the values of the Enlightenment. The primacy of reason, tolerance,” Mr Guterres said.
The Age of Enlightenment – also known as the Age of Reason – was a European intellectual movement that spread during the 17th and 18th centuries.
“This is particularly important when we see the risks of moving into a kind of post-Enlightenment era and where we see the multiplication of different forms of irrationality – nationalism, populism, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred.
“I believe that the European Union is, and we count on the European Union to be on the forefront of the good battle for the values of the Enlightenment, which, as I mentioned, were the very important contribution of Europe to global civilisation.”
Mr Guterres attended a working lunch with Ms von der Leyen and Commission leaders, with the recovery from Covid-19 and vaccine equity on the agenda.
Ms von der Leyen assured Mr Guterres that the EU and the Commission would "always stand by your side".
"We support you in your tireless work to strengthen multilateralism and to improve the rules-based order, globally, for all the topics we are dealing with together – be it peace and security, or the support for refugees, or overcoming the pandemic, but also fighting climate change," she said.
In September, Mr Guterres is scheduled to release his report, Our Common Agenda: Responding to Current and Future Challenges, which stems from a request by the UN General Assembly.
Mr Guterres is expected to publish a series of recommendations to address global problems – including the protection of the planet.
"We are ... very curious about what you call 'our common agenda', where we always volunteer to take a leading role", Ms von der Leyen said.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey
Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland
Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria,
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia
Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia
Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden,
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland
Group F: Germany, France, Portugal,
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary
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