Leaders from around the world gathered in New York starting on September 24th to participate in the annual United Nations General Assembly. They are faced with a challenge: to cooperate in addressing the most pressing issues in the world today and reforming the United Nations to make it more modern. However, the outlook for cooperation does not seem optimistic at present.
The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly’s general debate will continue until September 28th, with the theme of “No one left behind: action for peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations.”
The wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, as well as the escalating possibility of conflict in the Middle East, will be the main topics of discussion at this year’s United Nations summit. These issues will also be the primary focus of speeches and private meetings among world leaders.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will preside over the entire meeting. He warned that the world is facing “increased conflict and impunity,” in which “any country, military entity, or militia feels they can act with impunity because no one will hold them accountable.”
Attendees are expected to include over 130 presidents, prime ministers, monarchs giving speeches, as well as dozens of ministers.
US President Joe Biden will address the opening ceremony on Tuesday, which will be a highly anticipated moment as it may be the 81-year-old president’s last major international appearance. He has been an active figure on the international stage for the past few decades.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that the focus of the US at the UN conference will be on ending “the scourge of war,” as approximately 2 billion people live in conflict-affected areas.
Last September, the Ukraine war and its President Volodymyr Zelensky were the highlights of the UN General Assembly. However, as the anniversary of Hamas’ deadly attacks in southern Israel approaches, the spotlight is undoubtedly shifting to the war in Gaza and the escalating violence along the Israel-Lebanon border, which now threatens the broader Middle East region.
Iran supports the Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Its new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, will address world leaders on Tuesday afternoon. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to speak on Thursday morning, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak on Thursday afternoon.
Zelensky will be in the spotlight twice. He will speak at the UN Security Council high-level meeting on Tuesday, convened by the US, France, Japan, Malta, South Korea, and the UK, and will also address the General Assembly on Wednesday morning.
Reforming the United Nations Security Council will also be a significant topic. Prior to the meeting, several leaders called for increasing the number of permanent members of the Security Council to break the veto power held by the five permanent members.
Slovenia is currently the rotating president of the Security Council this month and has chosen “peace leadership” as the theme for Wednesday’s high-level meeting, challenging its 15 member states to discuss why the UN institutions responsible for maintaining international peace and security have failed to fulfill their responsibilities and how to do better.
Slovenian Ambassador to the United Nations Samuel Zbogar stated, “The world is becoming increasingly unstable and unpeaceful, respect for rules is eroding, and we are sliding into disorder. We have never seen such a strong need for rebuilding trust to ensure future needs.”
One key reason for the dysfunction of the Security Council is the deep divisions among the five permanent members with veto power. The US is Israel’s closest ally, supports Ukraine, and allies with the UK and France. Russia has invaded Ukraine and established military and economic partnerships with China.
French President Emmanuel Macron and UK’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend the United Nations along with Biden. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have dispatched their foreign ministers to attend. Last year, Putin and Xi did not attend as well.
Just two days before the United Nations General Assembly convenes, on September 22nd, most country leaders and representatives first participated in the “Summit of the Future.”
The summit passed a major outcome document – a 42-page “Pact of the Future.”
The voting results were 143 in favor, 7 against, and 15 abstentions, rejecting a significant amendment proposed by Russia to weaken the pact.
The Pact of the Future is a blueprint to address global challenges, covering issues from conflict and climate change to artificial intelligence and reforming the United Nations and global institutions. Its impact will depend on the implementation by the 193 member countries of the United Nations General Assembly.
(Reference: Reports from the Associated Press)