"This year’s International Day of Peace comes at a crisis point for humanity", said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a video appeal regarding September 21- International Day of Peace, APA reports.

He noted that COVID-19 has turned our world upside-down.

"Conflicts are spinning out of control. The climate emergency is worsening. Inequality and poverty are deepening. And mistrust and division are driving people apart at a time when solidarity and collaboration are needed more than ever. As a human family, we face a stark choice — Peace or perpetual peril. We must choose peace. That is why I call for a 24-hour ceasefire today. And by working in solidarity for a lasting, sustainable peace every day, we can tackle the issues facing us.

We need peace to urgently deliver lifesaving vaccines and treatment for COVID-19. We need peace to recover from the pandemic and re-build shattered systems and shattered lives.

We need peace to level the playing field and reduce inequalities.

We need peace to renew trust in one another — and faith in facts and science.

And we need to make peace with nature — to heal our planet, build a green economy, and achieve our net-zero targets.

Peace is not a naïve dream. It’s a light in the darkness. Guiding us to the only pathway to a better future for humanity. Let’s walk the pathway of peace as if our lives depended on it. Because they do", said Secretary-General.