The UN Secretary-General appealed on Wednesday for world leaders to invest in peace as violence, division and conflict exacerbate suffering worldwide.
António Guterres was speaking during the annual ceremony at the Japanese Peace Bell on the grounds of UN Headquarters in New York.
"Each year, the toll of the Peace Bell reminds us of the most important and consequential job we have: building peace," he said.
Peace in peril
He stressed that "peace is never a passive achievement" and requires hard work as well as action, yet action for peace is faltering.
"Violence and division are tearing apart communities," he said. "Conflicts are widening and deepening. People are suffering. And the dialogue and solidarity that solutions require are missing in action."
The Secretary-General's appeal comes ahead of the International Day of Peace on 21 September, which is being celebrated under the theme of 'Investing in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day."
