the russian-ukrainian conflict continues, a ceasefire in gaza is nowhere in sight, and multiple crises have become the main topics of the un general assembly debate
2024-09-25
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[global times special correspondent in the united states xiao da wang yi liu yupeng] on the 24th local time, the general debate of the 79th united nations general assembly officially opened. leaders of brazil, the united states, turkey, south africa, iran and other countries spoke on the same day. among them, us president biden's speech has attracted particular attention. this is his last appearance on the un diplomatic stage during his tenure. however, afp said that during biden's tenure, reality is "farther away from his diplomatic goals than ever before", especially now that the situation in the middle east is becoming more and more dangerous. faced with an increasingly chaotic international situation and frequent crises, leaders of many countries are calling for peace and cooperation at the general assembly. on the 23rd, wang yi, special representative of president xi jinping, member of the political bureau of the cpc central committee and foreign minister, attended the un future summit and called on all countries to uphold a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, resolve disputes through dialogue, resolve differences through consultation, and promote security through cooperation.
on the 24th, the general debate of the 79th united nations general assembly officially opened. (afp)
“humanity faces three major threats”
according to afp, the 79th un general assembly general political debate officially began on the 24th, with more than 130 heads of state, heads of government, foreign ministers and representatives participating. during the five-day general debate, they will discuss the prevention and resolution of conflicts, response to climate change, economic and social development and other global challenges of our time.
on the 24th, un secretary-general guterres mentioned the many crises facing the world in his opening speech of the general debate. he said that gaza is a "nightmare that never ends" and lebanon is on the brink of danger. "humanity faces three major threats: impunity, which will erode international law; inequality, which will undermine national stability; and uncertainty." he said, "geopolitical divisions are deepening. the earth continues to heat up. wars are raging, but we don't know how to end them... we are heading towards an unimaginable situation - a powder keg that could devour the world."
as is customary, brazilian president lula was the first head of state to address the general debate. he spoke of the global hunger crisis, the largest number of international conflicts since world war ii, and un reform. "we are approaching the end of the first quarter of the 21st century," he said, "and it is time to respond forcefully to these crises."
biden then took the stage to deliver a speech, in which he listed a series of crises facing the world, including terrorism, war, climate crisis and record population displacement. he stressed that "we need to end the era of war that began on 9/11." biden said that "putin's war goals have failed," and the united states "ensured ukraine's survival as a free country," and said that "we will not give up supporting ukraine." regarding the middle east crisis, biden claimed that "it is time for all parties to finalize the terms of the ceasefire agreement." he also warned against a "full-scale war" in lebanon.
"middle east tensions loom as biden attends his last major un meeting." the washington post said on the 24th that biden is trying to consolidate his foreign policy legacy amid growing tensions in the middle east. this is one of biden's last chances to showcase his achievements on the global stage. however, the report quoted riedel, a senior fellow at the brookings institution, as saying, "the biden administration is doing everything it can to prevent this crisis, but it looks like the odds are not on their side." senior u.s. officials admitted that biden's goal of reaching a ceasefire in gaza is almost impossible to achieve.
the new york times said biden elaborated on the role of the united states in shaping the future and reaffirmed its leadership. but the fact is that when biden delivered his speech, there was still deep uncertainty about the role of the united states in the future world. the russian-ukrainian conflict is still ongoing, the ceasefire in gaza is nowhere in sight, and multiple global crises are colliding with american politics.
highlights of the un diplomatic agenda
saudi arabia's arab news reported that world leaders will attend the general debate of the un general assembly starting on the 24th, which is the climax of the un's diplomatic schedule. international crisis group expert gowen said: "crisis such as gaza, ukraine and sudan have become the main topics of the debate." according to reports, leaders of turkey, jordan and other countries also urged an end to conflicts in gaza and other regions when speaking on the 24th. they warned that if the un cannot help achieve peace, it will become irrelevant globally.
in addition to the middle east crisis, the russia-ukraine conflict is also a matter of concern to all countries. ukrainian president zelensky will address the un general assembly on the 25th. russian foreign minister lavrov will deliver a speech on the 28th.
in addition to attending the un general assembly, zelensky's most important agenda is to hold talks with biden on the russia-ukraine conflict on thursday. in an interview with the american broadcasting corporation on the 23rd, he said that his previously formulated "victory plan" will enhance ukraine's capabilities. therefore, the russia-ukraine conflict will be "closer to the end" than many people think. he also publicly criticized trump's promise to end the conflict as "just shouting slogans" and "trump does not really know how to stop this war." he also accused the us republican vice presidential candidate vance of being "too radical."
in response, trump hit back at a campaign rally in pennsylvania on the 23rd, saying: "i think zelensky is the greatest salesman in history. he can take away 60 billion us dollars every time he comes to the united states." he said that zelensky is "very eager" for the democratic party to win the presidential election, "but i will do it differently-i will work hard to achieve peace."
many countries in the "global south" are also very concerned about the climate crisis and sustainable development. according to the american broadcasting corporation, brazilian president lula called on the world to take more action to address climate change at the future summit on the 23rd. he also said: "the sustainable development goals are one of the world's biggest diplomatic undertakings in recent years. if we break our promises, everything we have worked so hard to build will be put in jeopardy."
become a "propellant" for world unity
"today's world is full of turmoil, risks and challenges are emerging one after another, and no country can be immune." wang yi attended the un future summit in new york on the 23rd and delivered a speech entitled "grasping the common destiny and creating a better future". he stressed that strengthening unity and cooperation in the international community is not an optional question, but a must-answer question. all countries should uphold the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, resolve disputes through dialogue, resolve differences through consultation, and promote security through cooperation. major countries should especially set an example, break the small geopolitical circle, transcend the conflict and confrontation of small groups, and serve as the "propellant" of world unity and the "ballast stone" of international peace.
turkey's anadolu agency quoted turkish foreign minister fidan as saying that the international community and the united nations are facing a historic test, "our ability to resolve crises is declining, while crises are intensifying."
qatar's al jazeera said that from ukraine to gaza, from armed conflicts to climate change, the united nations needs reform to deal with various crises. the report said that peace and sustainable development are the pillars of the united nations, but the escalation of conflicts around the world is eroding the international consensus on the sustainable development goals and weakening the willingness of countries to commit to multilateral cooperation and solidarity. the report said that the united nations shoulders the heavy responsibility of "maintaining international peace and security" and promoting sustainable development of mankind. is it suitable to achieve this goal in the future?
