UNGA80-81 Special Coverage

US President Donald Trump addressed the General Assembly, calling for a 'golden age' of American prosperity and warning that the United States would not subsidise what he described as an unfair multilateral system. He reiterated his position that NATO allies must increase defence spending and signalled continued pressure on Iran.

Secretary-General António Guterres opened High-Level Week with a stark address warning that the world was 'spinning out of control', citing the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the climate crisis, and the failure of international institutions to adapt to a changed geopolitical landscape. He called for reform of the Security Council and the international financial architecture.

The Summit of the Future, held on 22–23 September, adopted the Pact for the Future — a landmark agreement covering AI governance, climate action, Security Council reform, and a new framework for international financial institutions. The Pact was adopted by consensus, though a small number of states registered reservations.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opened the General Debate, as is traditional for Brazil as the first country to speak. He called for a ceasefire in Gaza, condemned what he described as the collective punishment of Palestinian civilians, and urged reform of the UN Security Council to give greater representation to the Global South.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Assembly, calling for sustained military and financial support and warning that any peace settlement that rewarded Russian territorial gains would embolden future aggression. He presented Ukraine's 'Victory Plan' and called for a UN-backed peace summit.

Multiple African heads of state used their opening-day speeches to criticise the double standard they perceived in international responses to conflicts in Gaza versus Ukraine, and to call for debt relief and reform of the international financial system.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed the Assembly, reiterating Beijing's position that it supports a political solution to the Ukraine conflict and opposes what he described as 'Cold War mentality' and bloc confrontation. He called for the lifting of unilateral sanctions and defended China's development model.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warned that the Middle East was 'at a point of implosion', citing the ongoing war in Gaza, instability in Lebanon, and the broader regional consequences of unresolved conflicts. He called for an immediate ceasefire and a two-state solution.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud reiterated Riyadh's position that normalisation with Israel was conditional on a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood. He called for an international conference on the two-state solution.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Assembly that Russia had no intention of attacking Europe, but warned that any aggression against Russia would receive a 'decisive response'. He accused Western states of prolonging the Ukraine conflict by supplying weapons and rejected calls for Russian withdrawal as preconditions for negotiations.

The United Arab Emirates and Oman addressed the Assembly, with both states calling for diplomatic solutions to regional tensions and warning against further escalation in the Middle East.

South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said his government had asked US President Trump to act as a 'peacemaker' and use his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to restart diplomacy aimed at reducing military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Song, in a rare appearance at the General Assembly, reiterated that the DPRK would not give up its nuclear weapons under any circumstances, describing them as a necessary deterrent against what he called US hostility.

A bloc of African leaders used their speeches to call for permanent African representation on the UN Security Council, arguing that the current structure — which excludes Africa from permanent membership — is a legacy of colonialism that must be corrected.

The climate emergency featured prominently in speeches from Pacific Island states and low-lying coastal nations, who called for accelerated emissions reductions and warned that their survival as sovereign states was at stake.

China's statements at the Assembly were widely analysed as signalling Beijing's intent to reshape global governance norms, seizing on what analysts described as a retreat of US multilateral engagement under the Trump administration. China called for a multipolar world order and greater representation for developing nations in international institutions.

Canada's Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly walked a careful line in her speech, pushing back against what she described as assertions of unfettered US power while avoiding language that would directly provoke Canada's largest trading partner. She reaffirmed Canada's commitment to multilateralism and the rules-based international order.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas addressed the Assembly, calling for continued support for Ukraine and warning that a negotiated settlement that rewarded Russian aggression would set a dangerous precedent for international security.

Multiple Latin American states addressed the Assembly, with several calling for the lifting of US sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela and for reform of the international financial architecture to reduce the burden of debt on developing nations.

The fifth day of the General Debate was dominated by assessments of the Trump administration's impact on the international order. Leaders from across the political spectrum — allies and adversaries alike — addressed what they described as a fundamental shift in US foreign policy and its implications for the UN system.

Russia's Lavrov, speaking again in a side event, reiterated that Moscow was open to negotiations on Ukraine but only on terms that recognised Russian territorial gains. He accused Western states of using Ukraine as a proxy to weaken Russia.

The AP's daily digest of notable quotes highlighted the breadth of concern about the erosion of multilateral norms, with leaders from every region expressing anxiety about the direction of global governance.

Side events on AI governance, the Pact for the Future implementation, and debt relief for developing nations drew significant attendance, reflecting the Assembly's growing role as a forum for issues beyond traditional security and development.

The General Debate closed on 29 September. Analysts noted that African leaders, while vocal on global governance reform and the Gaza conflict, had largely avoided drawing attention to ongoing conflicts and governance crises in their own regions — including Sudan, the eastern DRC, and the Sahel.

The General Assembly voted to endorse a new world map that more accurately represents Africa's geographic size, correcting the distortions of the Mercator projection that have historically understated the continent's scale. The vote was seen as a symbolic but significant step in addressing Eurocentric biases in global institutions.

The AP's closing summary — 'From all over the planet, they came to the UN with a message: Fix things, particularly yourself' — captured the dominant mood of the week: a global body under pressure to reform, with little agreement on how.

Secretary-General Guterres closed the week by reiterating his call for Security Council reform, a new international financial architecture, and accelerated climate action. He acknowledged that the Pact for the Future adopted at the Summit of the Future was a beginning, not an end.