The 80th UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) crucial General Debate kicks off in New York today at a critical time for the bloc.
With “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights” the theme for the general debate, the UNGA’s 140+ world leaders and senior officials will look to address pressing problems, like a Palestine state, the war in Ukraine, climate change, as well as an internal budget crisis.
Key UNGA issues to watch out for
The UNGA, the main policy-making body of the Organisation, comprises all 193 member states, with each member getting an equal vote in the General Debate. It is set to run for almost a week, with several matters up for discussion.
The question of a Palestine state
France, along with Saudi Arabia, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Monaco, on Monday, moved to recognise Palestinian statehood. Their actions followed those by Australia, Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom from a day earlier.
Obviously, the move drew heavy opposition from the US and Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will take the main stage on Friday, is currently in the midst of an ever increasing military offensive in the West Bank and other parts of Gaza. So much so that the death toll has gone past 65,000.
US President Donald Trump labelled the move “a publicity stunt”. He added that “the conference will prolong the war, embolden Hamas, reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace”.
Interestingly, the US is the only permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) not to recognise a Palestinian state.
The Russia-Ukraine war
The dark cloud that is Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has been hanging over Europe, and indeed, NATO’s head for over 3 years now. Mind you, Trump had promised to end both of the above wars once he became President. So far, he hasn’t done so and most would agree that he’s not even close.
Notably, the UNGA comes days after an unprecedented incursion of three Russian fighter jets into Estonian airspace, a NATO member. This marked the second such “mistake” by Russia in recent weeks. Earlier, NATO forces shot down Russian drones over Poland. Moreover, embattled Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will be hoping for a one-on-one meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the General Debate.
The need for AI safeguards
Additionally, one must watch out for how the UNGA plans to deal with the growing concerns around artificial intelligence (AI), especially its misuse.
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa on Monday, very passionately called for binding AI safeguards or, at the very least, define what AI must never be allowed to do.
A high-level multi-stakeholder informal meeting is scheduled for Thursday and will look to provide “inclusive and accountable AI governance”.
