UNGA Recap: Biden, Zelenskyy, and Key Developments at the United Nations

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The U.N. General Assembly’s high-level meeting commenced on Monday, bringing world leaders together at the U.N. headquarters in New York. Here’s a concise summary of the significant events from Monday and what to anticipate on Tuesday.

Monday Highlights at the UN General Assembly:

• The day marked the initiation of a two-day summit aimed at rallying world leaders to advance the Sustainable Development Goals established by the international community in 2015. Notably, this summit featured appearances by notable figures such as Senegalese musician Baaba Maal, as well as actors Natalie Portman and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

• On the sidelines of the General Assembly, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held discussions with media executives and emphatically refuted allegations that Iran had supplied Russia with drones for use in the Ukraine conflict. He stated, “We are against the war in Ukraine.”

• Concurrently, as Climate Week commenced in New York, leaders of the World Health Organization and the forthcoming COP28 climate negotiations disclosed their plans to dedicate a day to public health in December, marking the first instance of such a focus.

Tuesday’s Anticipated Developments at the UN General Assembly:

• Key speeches are expected from prominent figures, including Secretary-General António Guterres, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, U.S. President Joe Biden, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

• Of particular interest will be Lula’s address, as it initiates the succession of speeches by world leaders. Observers will keenly watch how Lula seeks to position Brazil as a leader within the Global South, aiming to provide a counterbalance to the influence of China and the United States.

• Following Lula’s speech, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel is scheduled to address the assembly, shortly after Biden’s speech. Recent developments saw Lula and Díaz-Canel renewing ties between their countries at the G77 summit in Havana, with Lula expressing concern about the U.S. embargo of Cuba.

• Additionally, Prince William is slated to participate in the second Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit.

Notable Quote:

“It is, for us, very important that all our words, all our messages, are heard by our partners. If in the United Nations still… there is a place for Russian terrorists, the question is not to me — I think it’s a question to all the member states.” – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on the upcoming U.N. Security Council meeting featuring both him and Russia’s envoy.

Statistic of the Day:

286: The estimated number of years required for men and women to achieve gender equality at the current rate of progress concerning the Sustainable Development Goals, according to a U.N. report highlighted by Secretary-General António Guterres.

For comprehensive coverage of this year’s U.N. General Assembly, visit here.

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• U.N. General Assembly
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• COP28 climate negotiations
• Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• United Nations News
• Climate Week in New York