Recap of the 79th Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly

In September, world leaders gathered at the United Nations headquarters in New York City to bring attention to world issues that they believe should be prioritized this year at the UN General Assembly. Speakers, member countries, and executives presented for the duration of the week. 

The assembly was opened by Secretary-General António Guterres, who urged peace against the “risks engulfing the world,” pointing to the continuous chaos of recent conflicts, including Myanmar’s civil war, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the expanding conflict in the Middle East over Palestine, the Congo’s severe exploitation, and Sudan’s extremely destructive power struggle which has severely impacted citizens. He reminded the assembly about the importance of respecting international law, regardless of conflicting nearby opinions. Guterres also discussed the over two hundred UN associates who have lost their lives through these conflicts this year alone. 

Another important speaker this year was President Joe Biden; he discussed significant events of his past and offered a perspective on the history of the United States of America. President Biden placed particular emphasis on the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and Afghanistan, among various other issues. Moreover, he spoke about the world’s most recent accomplishments as a result of multilateralism: curbing the COVID-19 pandemic, NATO sanctions on Russia, and supporting allies in the Indo-Pacific in order to promote free trade in the seas and advocate against territorial expansion. Biden also addressed the dangers of AI and discussed possible universal solutions to prevent its exploitation of humanity, largely through government legislation. 

Additionally, there were renewed calls from many UN member states to update the Security Council, specifically discussing permanent members and VETO allowances. Further discussions highlighted how the UN, its protocols, and its aid efforts were being largely disregarded by the parties involved in the Gaza conflict, resulting in severe yet preventable harm to civilians. 

In addition, climate change emerged as a major theme of the conference. Many representatives spoke about the escalating impact of severe weather driven by global warming, with particular focus on its disproportionate effects on developing countries that rely on primary agrarian industries for stability and development. 

Significant ideological changes are also occurring in Argentina and Brazil’s leadership. Both countries focused their new agendas heavily on climate change and their economies, with Brazil switching to prioritize the conservation of the Amazon Rainforest (which they control the majority of) and Argentina’s Milei promising (despite severe congressional pushback leading to a stalemate) massive deregulation of the industry and rollback of government intervention in the economy. 

Among European members, there was a large amount of support regarding continuing the aid provided to Ukraine and potentially increasing the range of types of aid that could be supplied. There was also a tone shift with the European Union (EU)  elections in the summer showcasing a large increase in right-wing support, which was a trend previously not observed in those regions in recent years. This raised concerns among many countries affiliated with the EU since it could lead to a large policy shift. 

In Africa, the examination of various civil wars emphasized the critical need to discourage local militias and prioritize efforts to control violence.. Members also discussed the regulation of local resources and labour, noting that many Western industries rely heavily on this region’s natural resources for production. This topic was also considered in conjunction with Africa’s journey to reaching the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. 

Moreover, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke at the assembly and promoted multilateralism as well as sustainability for the benefit of future generations. He discussed these goals through the processes of mitigating global conflicts and reversing the effects of climate change. Trudeau also repeated Canada’s support for Ukraine through its conflict with Russia, even while facing pressure from NATO allies in the summer after falling short of defence spending goals.

Although a theme at this conference was the unprecedented amount of conflict and violence currently occurring across the world, this assembly was a testament to the vitality of hope. The meeting established collaborative pathways toward solutions against these various issues that are necessary to change or alleviate.