As global leaders convene at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in September 2024, the gathering is overshadowed by an outlook on global conflicts, crises and a fragmented international community.
Leaders are expected to engage in debates about conflicts, climate change, technological advancements and the need for multilateral reforms. The assembly brings together more than 130 heads of state, government leaders and ministers.
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The 2024 UNGA comes at a time when the world is struggling with multiple wars, rising geopolitical tensions and unresolved conflicts. Major global conflicts dominating the agenda include the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan with concerns that violence in the Middle East could escalate.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed these challenges as a multiplication of conflicts and concerns over the growing impunity of armed groups and nations involved in violence.
The summit also arrives amidst deepening divisions among international powers particularly the strained relations between the permanent members of the UN Security Council, United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.
UN Secretary-General Guterres had previously called for a Summit of the Future aimed at reinforcing multilateral cooperation, which is essential to address changes and emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence, climate change and economic inequality.
Guterres urged world leaders to modernize international institutions to ensure they remain fit for purpose in an increasingly complex world. He acknowledged that the existing global architecture formed after World War II, is outdated and ill-equipped to deal with fast-moving crises.
The two-day Summit of the Future took place ahead of the UNGA focusing on the need to renew global commitments to multilateralism and it resulted in the adoption of the Pact for the Future, a blueprint for addressing global challenges.
The Pact for the Future was officially adopted on Sunday. This 42-page document outlines measures to tackle the biggest issues facing humanity today from conflicts and climate change to the governance of artificial intelligence.
Despite efforts by Russia and several other states to derail the adoption of the pact, the UNGA voted against Russia’s proposed amendments. The final vote was 143-7 with 15 abstentions.
Key elements of the pact include commitments to strengthening the multilateral system promoting peace and security, combating climate change and reforming the UN to make it more inclusive and responsive to the needs of developing nations in the Global South.
Among the world leaders addressing the assembly this year are US President Joe Biden, who is expected to focus on international peace and security in what could be his final appearance on the world stage.
Biden’s speech will likely address the need for cooperation to end the numerous global conflicts, given that approximately 2 billion people now live in conflict-affected regions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to address the assembly each of them presenting their perspectives on the Gaza conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also be a key figure at this year’s assembly with two major speeches planned, one at a UN Security Council meeting and another addressing the General Assembly directly.
The dysfunction of the UN Security Council has become an issue with conflicts highlighting the body’s inability to maintain peace. Deep divisions among its five permanent members have prevented cohesive action regarding the Ukraine war and other crises.
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Slovenia holding the council’s rotating presidency in September, has called for a special meeting on the theme Leadership for Peace, which will challenge member nations to explore why the council is failing and how it can be reformed.
The need for Security Council reform has been a theme in UN discussions and the Pact for the Future calls for concrete steps to expand and democratize the body. Developing nations in Africa and Latin America have advocated for a greater say in global decision-making.
A total of 143 UNGA member nations voted in favor of the Pact for the Future. Only seven countries including Russia, Belarus, Venezuela, Syria and Iran, opposed the agreement, while 15 nations abstained from voting.
Russia said that the agreement was biased towards Western interests and infringed upon national sovereignty. Moscow cited concerns over 25 provisions in the pact including the emphasis on universal access to sexual and reproductive health rights and gender empowerment.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who has advocated for the agreement for over two years, described the pact as a new beginning of multilateralism. He addressed the need for collective solutions to global problems in a world where multilateralism has been perceived as weakened.
The pact calls for an end to barriers that prevent women and girls from achieving their full potential. It also places a special emphasis on gender empowerment, sexual and reproductive health rights and fighting misogyny.
Moscow sought to amend the pact, asserting that certain issues including sexual and reproductive health rights, were domestic matters that should not fall under the UN’s purview.
Despite Russia’s arguments, the majority of the UNGA including regional groups like the African Union and Mexico rejected the Russian amendment.
The AU led by the Republic of Congo explicitly called for the rejection, noting Russia’s limited support and criticizing its attempt to derail the pact.
Russia contended that the provisions interfered with national sovereignty, advocating for the primacy of domestic jurisdiction over certain global initiatives proposed in the pact.
Climate change continues to be a major concern and the Pact for the Future calls for renewed efforts to meet global climate targets. This includes commitments to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, which are set to expire in 2030.
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