World Leaders Unite: UN General Assembly Kicks Off High-Stakes Global Discussions

US President Biden will address the member states of the United Nations for the last time. There will also be a high level meeting at the Security Council. Conflict threatens to overshadow everything.

The farewell of the President of the United States Joe Biden from the big stage of the United Nations today will be the first highlight at the beginning of the general debate in the General Assembly of the United Nations. In addition to the President of the United States, the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his colleague Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey are among the early speakers at the start of the 79th General Debate in New York (from 3 pm CEST).

At the United Nations, Biden has a much better reputation as an advocate of international cooperation than his essential UN predecessor, Donald Trump – Biden is expected to emphasize the return of the United States to international agreements and his efforts for multilateralism in his speech.

But many listeners will also blame the most powerful man in the world for the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. The USA had repeatedly defended its ally Israel – for example with its veto in the UN Security Council.

In the afternoon, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj also plans to attend a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Russia’s war of aggression. Before his trip to the USA, Zelensky had raised expectations of a “victory plan” that had been announced for weeks, the details of which he wanted to present first to US President Biden.

According to a report in the British “The Times”, it includes the demand for Western security guarantees similar to those of NATO membership. In addition, unspecified specific weapons and further financial support are requested. Zelensky is due to speak before the general assembly on Wednesday morning (local time).

The start of the general UN debate is overshadowed by the escalation in the Middle East. Daily new heavy attacks by Israel on the Shiite organization Hezbollah in Lebanon, with many civilian casualties, are raising concerns of a major regional war. It is expected that the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, will make clear calls for moderation in his speech towards Israel and its allies.

In the coming days, around 120 heads of state and government are expected to give speeches in the general debate. The Middle East conflict and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine are likely to play an important role in many speeches. Germany will be represented by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), who landed in New York on Monday and will give Germany’s speech to the United Nations’ largest body later in the week.