--- title: "Member Nations Alarmed by Bleak Future During “Dire” UN Meeting" description: "The tone at the first in-person United Nations since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was pretty \"dire,\" the Associated Press reports." date: "2021-09-22" modified: "2021-09-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/bleak-future-dire-united-nations" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "climate change" - "racism" - "united nations" --- # Member Nations Alarmed by Bleak Future During “Dire” UN Meeting ![The tone at the first in-person United Nations since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was pretty "dire," the Associated Press reports.]() *\Image: Eduardo Munoz-Pool/Getty Images\* The tone at the first in-person United Nations meeting since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which kicked off on Tuesday at the General Assembly in New York, was "dire," [the *Associated Press* reports](). The topics of conversation were familiar. Climate change is [rearing its ugly head](), while the availability of COVID-19 vaccines is driving wealthy and poor nations even further apart. The consensus appeared to be that we're at a low point in human history — and thinks might get worse before they get better. And world leaders seem to agree with that prognosis. Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the gathering that "the world has entered a period of new turbulence and transformation," as quoted by the *AP*. Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada took an equally somber tone. "The future is raising its voice at us: Less military weaponry, more investment in peace!" Racism around the world was also a hot button topic. A proposed resolution aimed at Israel, for instance, likened Zionism to racism, prompting to US and Israel to walk out. The [worsening relations]() between China and the US also got a mention, with Xi and US president Joe Biden dancing around the topic by saying they were ready to cooperate if other nations were as well. UN secretary-general António Guterres warning the *AP* in an interview that we risk of starting a new Cold War if the two world powers don't fix their "completely dysfunctional" relationship. "Unfortunately, today we only have confrontation," he said. Humanity is facing some unprecedented challenges — and cooperation between world leaders seems hard to come by. By design, the summit was meant to represent the interests of billions of people, including many who are facing tough days ahead. No wonder discussions took a dark turn. **READ MORE**[: ‘The future is raising its voice’: A dire mood at UN meeting]() \[*Associated Press*\] **More on dire futures:** *[Scientists Alarmed by Telltale Sign of Global Mass Extinction]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()