Nuclear weapons, the triple planetary crisis and the governance of artificial intelligence present three of the most pressing challenges facing the international community.  In the same year that the Organization was founded, “humanity crossed a threshold when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were reduced to ruins in an instant by atomic bombings,” he said, adding that the risk of nuclear conflict is now the highest it has been in decades.  The 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons presents nuclear-weapon States an opportunity to reaffirm their adherence.  Military spending has reached its highest level since the cold war precisely “when we are facing the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time,” he pointed out.

Humanitarian and refugee crises are fueling the power of drug trafficking and organized crime, he said, adding that his country, as both a host and transit State, experiences first-hand “how criminal networks transform migration routes into illicit corridors”. “Preventive diplomacy costs millions; but repairing its failures costs billions,” he said, adding that “in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti, we see the consequences of arriving too late.” Turning to the triple planetary crisis, he noted that his country suffers from devastating hurricanes, droughts and economic losses in the billions.  Costa Rica is doubling its forest cover and generating nearly all its electricity from renewable sources.  The international community must accelerate the energy transition, finance climate action and “respond with justice” to the loss and damage suffered by countries such as his, he stressed.

Artificial intelligence can strengthen national economies but it can also divide the international community, he pointed out.  It is vital to establish frameworks — one application that deserves special attention is autonomous weapons systems.  “No algorithm should ever make life or death decisions,” he underscored.  Also noting that it is Latin America and the Caribbean’s turn to next hold the post of the Secretary-General, he said the person who will hold that office in January 2027 must have the leadership and vision required to face these great global challenges.  “We are confident we will find that person,” he said.