Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (2021) [EN/AR/RU/ZH]

Introduction

by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

The COVID-19 pandemic dominated the past year, around the globe and at the United Nations. We are a world in mourning for the millions of people we have lost. The pandemic is the greatest shared global challenge since the founding of our organization; every country has faced pain, uncertainty and vulnerability. The global health, social, economic and human rights crises triggered by the pandemic have underscored the importance of multilateral cooperation – and tested it to the limit.