Promise and peril as world tops 8b

UNITED NATIONS — The world's population surged past 8 billion people on Tuesday, the United Nations said, amid calls by the world body for nations to take action to bridge divides between the global haves and have-nots.

Whether it's food or water, batteries or gasoline, there will be less to go around as the global population adds another 2.4 billion people by the 2080s, according to UN projections.

In an opinion article published on Friday by the USA Today newspaper, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the milestone of 8 billion people "a testament to scientific breakthroughs and improvements in nutrition, public health and sanitation".

The world can yield enormous opportunities for some of the poorest countries, where population growth is highest, said Guterres, adding that within a few decades, today's poorest countries could become engines of sustainable, green growth and prosperity across entire regions.

"But as our human family grows larger, it is also growing more divided," the UN chief warned.

He noted that billions of people are struggling, hundreds of millions are facing hunger and even famine, and record numbers are on the move seeking opportunities and relief from debt and hardship, wars and climate disasters.

"Unless we bridge the yawning chasm between the global haves and have-nots, we are setting ourselves up for an 8-billion-strong world filled with tensions and mistrust, crisis and conflict," wrote Guterres.

Wider wealth gap

As the world has grown richer and healthier in recent decades, the inequalities have grown too, he pointed out. A handful of billionaires control as much wealth as the poorest half of the world, and people in the richest countries can expect to live up to 30 years longer than those in the poorest, he said.

The accelerating climate crisis and the unequal recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic are turbo-charging inequalities. The conflict in Ukraine is adding to food, energy and finance crises, hitting developing economies hardest, the UN chief said.

Anger and resentment against developed countries are reaching breaking points, Guterres said, while toxic divisions and lack of trust are causing delays and deadlock on issues from nuclear disarmament and terrorism to global health.

"We must curb these damaging trends, repair relationships and find joint solutions to our common challenges," he said.

The UN chief expressed hope that the COP27 climate conference in Egypt "will see a historic Climate Solidarity Pact under which developed and emerging economies unite around a common strategy and combine their capacities and resources for the benefit of humankind".

He called on wealthier countries to provide key emerging economies with financial and technical support to transition away from fossil fuels.

He also urged the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, to adopt a stimulus package that will provide governments of the Global South with investments and liquidity, and address debt relief and restructuring.

Xinhua - Agencies