Happy New Year.

I see “four horsemen” in our midst – four looming threats that endanger 21st-century progress and imperil 21st-century possibilities.

The first horseman comes in the form of the highest global geostrategic tensions we have witnessed in years.

The risk of a Great Fracture is real. 

Second, we face an existential climate crisis.

Scientists tell us that ocean temperatures are now rising at the equivalent of five Hiroshima bombs a second. 

One million species are in near-term danger of extinction.   

Our planet is burning.

Meanwhile, too many decision-makers continue to fiddle.

Our world is edging closer to the point of no return.

The third horseman is deep and growing global mistrust.

Disquiet and discontent are churning societies from north to south.

Each situation is unique, but everywhere frustration is filling the streets.

More and more people are convinced globalization is not working for them.

Confidence in political establishments is going down. 

Young people are rising up.

Women are rightly demanding equality and freedom from violence and discrimination.

At the same time, fears and anxieties are spreading.  Hostility against refugees and migrants is building.  Hatred is growing.

The fourth threat is the dark side of the digital world.

Technological advances are moving faster than our ability to respond to – or even comprehend – them.

We are not prepared for the profound impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the labour market and the very structure of society. 

Lethal autonomous weapons – machines with the power to kill on their own, without human judgement and accountability – are bringing us into unacceptable moral and political territory. 

These four horsemen – epic geopolitical tensions, the climate crisis, global mistrust and the downsides of technology – can jeopardize every aspect of our shared future.

Security Council resolutions are being ignored.

Outside interference is fueling fires.

And we are at risk of losing pillars of the international disarmament and arms control [architecture] without viable alternatives.

Together, we need to listen.

And together, we need to act.

Thank you.

Business as usual:

nickgsheeran@gmail.com