World leaders are in New York City for the 79th United Nations General Assembly to discuss global issues and highlight their countries’ priorities. Official speechmaking began this morning, with the war in Gaza dominating attention. US President Joe Biden made his final address as president to the global body.
The UN Security Council will hold a special meeting on Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will speak.
30 Posts
Our live coverage has ended. You can read more about Biden’s last speech as US president at the global gathering here
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El Salvador’s Bukele touts controversial security measures at home
From CNN's Abel Alvarado
Nayib Bukele speaks during the UNGA on Tuesday.
Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg/Getty Images
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele took the United Nations General Assembly’s stage on Tuesday to boast of security improvements in his country and claimed wealthier nations are becoming less safe.
The Salvadoran president – who has earned the praise of US conservatives and criticism of rights advocates due to his iron-fisted tactics with suspected gang members – said that in some “so-called first world” cities, businesses are forced to protect products behind glass doors.
“While El Salvador became safer, the world became less safe,” he claimed.
Some background: Bukele’s increasing grip on power has allowed him to bring restore peace to El Salvador’s once gang-ridden streets – but it comes at a cost. Some constitutional rights like due process have been suspended under emergency measures, leading to a massive increase in incarceration, and an outcry from human rights groups.
Argentina’s Milei says UN must abandon “collectivist” policies
From CNN's Michael Rios
Javier Milei speaks at the UNGA on Tuesday.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Argentina President Javier Milei says he wants the United Nations to abandon what he criticized as “collectivist” policies that lay out common standards and call for unified action — an approach he said restricts individual rights and undermines economic growth.
The far-right, libertarian leader argued on Tuesday that the UN is losing its way by promoting measures that undermine self-rule, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which provides a blueprint for all countries to reduce inequality and tackle climate change.
Milei called such measures “socialist in shape,” saying the UN should avoid imposing rules and restrictions on individual countries.
He said his country has embraced libertarian policies and suggested Argentina would take a more active role in advancing them on the global stage.
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Iran’s president addresses American people, offers to re-engage with JCPOA participants
From CNN's Karen Smith and Rachel Ramirez
Masoud Pezeshkian President of Iran addresses the UNGA on Tuesday.
Caitlin Ochs/Reuters
As hundreds of people gathered outside the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday to protest the Iranian government and demanding to “free Iran,” Pezeshkian turned his General Assembly speech to address the American people directly, lamenting US sanctions on his country.
“Here, I want to address the American people,” the Iranian president said.
Pezeshkian also rebuked the US for withdrawing from a 2015 nuclear deal – another Trump-administration decision – and said his country is still willing to engage with Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) participants.
“We are ready to engage with JCPOA participants. If JCPOA commitments are implemented fully and in good faith, dialogue on other issues can follow,” he added.
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Iran’s President says Israel‘s strikes in Lebanon cannot go unanswered
From CNN's Karen Smith
Addressing the General Assembly on Tuesday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Israel’s recent strikes in Lebanon cannot go unanswered and warned of a potential escalation in the region.
“It is imperative that the international community should immediately stop the violence and bring about a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and bring an end to the desperate barbarism of Israel in Lebanon, before it engulfs the region and the world,” he said.
At least 558 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, including 50 children and 94 women, according to Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad.
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Russian envoy slams Security Council meeting on Ukraine
From CNN’s Richard Roth
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia attends a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday.
Brendan McDermid
As the UN Security Council convened to discuss the war in Ukraine on Tuesday afternoon, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia asked for the microphone and accused Western nations of turning the council into a spectacle.
“The only reason behind their convening this meeting is to provide (Ukrainian President) Volodymyr Zelensky with yet another concert stage in the Security Council,” he said in the impromptu remarks.
Outnumbered by representatives from European and NATO members, Nebenzia’s formal turn to speak will come at the end of the meeting currently ongoing.
Ukrainian President Zelensky spoke shortly after Nebenzia’s intervention.
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Russia can only be forced into peace, Zelensky tells Security Council
From CNN's Chris Liakos
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a Security Council meeting on Tuesday.
“Putin has broken so many international norms and rules that he won’t stop on his own. Russia can only be forced into peace,” Zelensky said, accusing Russia of committing crimes. Russian forces keep targeting Ukraine’s energy resources and could soon target nuclear power plants, he also warned.
“This war can’t simply fade away, that’s why this war can’t be calmed by talks. Action is needed,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky this week is expected to fully outline his “victory plan” to US President Joe Biden for the first time, before sharing it with both presidential candidates, US lawmakers and international partners. The plan is likely to include Kyiv’s repeated request to use Western long-range missile systems on targets inside Russia.
He is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
Some background: Zelensky has been pushing Ukraine’s allies to ease restrictions on weapons and although there have been signs of the US shifting its stance, he said last week they have yet to be given permission.
Colombia's Petro: "The richest 1% of humankind is responsible for climate change"
From CNN's Michael Rios
Colombia's President Gustavo Petro addresses the the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday, September 24.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Colombian President Gustavo Petro went off on the wealthy for causing what he called destruction of “life and our atmosphere,” saying the world’s richest 1% are responsible for climate change and other forms of “mass destruction,” including the war in Gaza.
In a fiery speech to the UN General Assembly, Petro accused the world’s most powerful countries and individuals of allowing bombs to be dropped on civilians, imposing economic restrictions on those they disagree with, and destroying the environment with oil and carbon.
Petro argued that thirst for more wealth is motivating the world’s richest people to keep investing in polluting industries that harm the environment.
The leftist former guerrilla also called on the international community to oppose capitalist principles and instead support ideas that he says “defend life as a whole.”
“Today, we need to choose between life or greed, between humankind or capital,” he said.
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Biden heralds his administration's efforts against synthetic drugs, says "we cannot let up"
From CNN's Donald Judd
President Joe Biden speaks at an event supporting the "Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats" on the sidelines of the United National General Assembly in New York, on Tuesday, September 24.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
US President Joe Biden outlined steps his administration has made in concert with partner nations to address rising threats from synthetic drugs at an event at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, while calling on countries to join in the fight to prevent opioid deaths.
“Opioids are the deadliest drug threat in our history– I’ve been working on drug control for a long, long time, since the days I was a senator, but it’s the deadliest of all,” Biden told the audience at today’s Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats in New York. “For years, too little has been done to beat this threat, here at home and around the world.”
The threat of fentanyl has emerged as a wedge issue on the campaign trail, with former President Donald Trump accusing the Biden administration of being soft on the southern border, allowing an influx of deadly opioids to flow into the country,
But Biden touted victories under his administration in the battle to fight the opioid epidemic Tuesday, noting that Naxalone, the anti-overdose drug, is now available over the counter, while $80 billion in federal funding has gone to addiction treatment and support.
And he pointed to a national security memorandum he signed in July designating the influx of fentanyl into the US as a national security threat, as well as partnerships with Mexico, Canada, and China to address the import and production of synthetic drugs.
Looking forward, Biden pledged, “My message today is very simple: we can’t let up. We cannot let up.”
Signatories of today’s pledge commit to efforts to disrupt synthetic drug supply chains, expand and increase public information campaigns, and expand treatment through public health interventions and addiction recovery efforts.
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South Africa’s Ramaphosa demands reform of UN Security Council
From CNN's Karen Smith
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosacalled for reform of the United Nations Security Council during his speech and urged for Africa to be included as part of the council.
Like most of the leaders speaking at the United Nations today, Ramaphosa also focused on the war in Gaza, describing Israel’s actions as “a grim continuation” of apartheid.
“The violence the Palestinian people are being subjected to is a grim continuation of more than half a century of apartheid that has been perpetrated against Palestinians by Israel. We South Africans know what apartheid looks like. We lived through apartheid. We suffered and died under apartheid. We will not remain silent and watch as apartheid is perpetrated against others.”
Security Council reform is high on the list of issues this week at the UN
From CNN’s Aditi Sangal
A UN Security Council meeting is seen at the United Nations headquarters in March.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images
One of the issues to be hotly debated at the UN this year is reforming the Security Council, which was formed from the ashes of World War II, when much of the world was still under colonial rule.
Permanent members – the five nations with permanent seats and veto power within the Security Council — “dictate the terms of international peace and security,” she added.
The permanent members, also known as P5, include the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France and China.
Here’s a look at how P5 members have used their veto power to block resolutions on key issues recently:
On Ukraine: Russia, a frequent user of its veto power, has vetoed resolutions related to Ukraine four times since 2014.
Middle East: When the council considered a resolution regarding the region’s situation, with the Palestinian question specifically mentioned, the United States was the member to use its veto power a majority of the times (16 times), with Russia and China using it together 2 times. The US also vetoed a resolution this year asking to grant the UN membership to the State of Palestine.
Meanwhile France and the UK have effectively stopped exercising the power, last using their vetoes in 1989.
Last week, Oxfam, a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations, called for UNSC reform, saying the body needed to “stop the ‘Permanent Five’ from being their own ‘judge and jury.’”
A new Oxfam report released last week found that permanent members “are exploiting their exclusive voting and negotiating powers to suit their own geopolitical interests. In doing so, they are undermining the Council’s ability to maintain international peace and security,” it said.
Still, there’s hope. Dayal pointed to “Pact for the Future” adopted by the UN on Sunday, “Pact for the Future,” in which heads of state made 56 pledges on multiple priorities, including Security Council reforms.
In his opening remarks at the Summit of the Future where the pact was adopted, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that the UNSC has become “outdated and its authority is eroding.”
“Unless its composition and working methods are reformed, it will eventually lose all credibility,” he warned. “We must take the first decisive steps towards updating and reforming international cooperation to make it more networked, fair and inclusive – now. And today, thanks to your efforts, we have,” he added.
The pact is designed to open a path toward reform by “explicitly endorsing African permanent membership,” according to Maya Ungar, UN analyst at the International Crisis group. But the pact is nonbinding, so “the reality of it being attained is in the very distant future,” she added.
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UN has been "almost completely sidelined" when it comes to Israel-Hamas war, analyst says
From CNN’s Aditi Sangal
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Seth Wenig/AP
So far, the United Nation’s potential role as a mediator when it comes to the Israel-Hamas conflict has been “almost completely sidelined,” according to Maya Ungar, UN analyst at the International Crisis group.
The result has been deep frustration among global diplomats working to respond to the crisis, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives, according to Ungar.
“There’s been a real frustration from diplomats about the inability of anything that even is passed in New York to have an effect on the situation on the ground,” she explained.
The support of the United States, a permanent member of the Security Council with veto power, has been key in allowing Israel to sideline the UN, Ungar also pointed out.
Ungar added however that while the UN may have lacked effectiveness on other aspects, its ability to be the world stage where both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can try to raise support for their perspective “is still pretty significant.”
“It’s the reason why you have all these world leaders who take the time out of their schedules and travel here to have those conversations,” she added.
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Jordan’s King Abdullah says UN is "under attack" in Gaza as it fails to protect civilians
From CNN's Karen Smith
Jordan's King Abdullah II addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Jordan’s King Abdullah II opened his speech at the UN on Tuesday by saying the global organization is “under attack, literally and figuratively” due to the Israel-Gaza conflict, and that it risks a potential “collapse of global trust and moral authority.”
“The UN is under attack, literally and figuratively. For nearly a year, the sky-blue flag flying over UN shelters and schools in Gaza has been powerless to protect innocent civilians from Israeli military bombardment,” Abdullah said.
He added:
Abdullah was met with applause in the hall when he called on the international community to “establish a protection mechanism” for Palestinians.
“Now is the time to ensure the protection of the Palestinian people. It is the moral duty of this international community to establish a protection mechanism for them across the occupied territories. This will guarantee the safety of Palestinians and Israelis from extremists who are taking our region to the brink of an all-out war,” he said.
He also called on the international community to participate in an “international Gaza humanitarian gateway” to ensure the delivery of food, water and medicine to the besieged enclave’s civilian population.
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"We mean business" with Hezbollah, says Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon
From CNN's Jen Hauser
Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon speaks at a press conference at the UN headquarters on Tuesday.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters on Tuesday that Israel prefers a ‘diplomatic solution’ in Lebanon to deal with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah but would use “other methods” to show “we mean business.”
Asked by CNN’s Tara John if Israel is prepared for a second front on its border with Lebanon after repeatedly striking Hezbollah targets in the country, Danon said: “We are not eager to start any ground invasion anywhere. I don’t want to send my son, and we don’t want to send our boys to fight in a foreign country, but we are determined to protect the civilians of Israel.”
Speaking with press at the UN’s Security Council stakeout on Tuesday, Danon continued that Israel prefers a diplomatic solution – but added:
Danon said the only way for the conflict to end will be “when Hezbollah are not on our border.”
The Israeli envoy also pushed back against other nations’ criticism of Israel’s war conduct, telling reporters that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comparison of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Adolf Hitler was “beyond imagination” and “shameful.”
In a speech earlier that morning, Erdogan had said, “Israel’s attitude has once again shown that it is essential for the international community to develop a protection mechanism for Palestinian civilians. Just as Hitler was stopped by the alliance of humanity 70 years ago, Netanyahu and his murder network must be stopped by the ‘alliance of humanity’.”
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Turkish president says the UN system is "dying" in Gaza as death toll rises
From CNN's Michael Rios
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Addressing the assembly, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the system of the United Nations and the values championed by the West are “dying” in Gaza as the death toll soars.
“Not only children are dying in Gaza; the United Nations system is also dying, the truth is dying, the values that the West claims to defend are dying, the hopes of humanity to live in a fairer world are dying one by one,” he said.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Erdogan condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, where local health authority figures show that more than 41,000 people have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, following the militant group’s deadly terror attacks in Israel.
He called for world leaders to stop Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pursuit of the war, and criticized countries who support his government.
“I call out to United Nations Security Council, what are you waiting for to prevent the genocide in Gaza, to put a stop to this cruelty, this barbarianism?” he said.
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Pakistan’s PM to CNN: "The burning issue of Gaza" is main priority at the UN
From CNN’s Tara John
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrives for the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Stefan Jeremiah/AP
World leaders aren’t only airing their views at the storied podium today; much more is happening on the sidelines here in New York.
Speaking to CNN as he waited for an elevator in the UN’s headquarters, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said one of his priorities this week is “the burning issue of Gaza and the genocide over there.”
“The world should sit down and resolve this,” he added, saying the global gathering at the UN “should be the place” for the conflict to be resolved.
Alongside him was Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who reiterated the prime minister’s sentiment.
“I think the issue at the center stage is Gaza,” he said.
Climate action top of mind as General Debate gets underway
From CNN's Karen Smith
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
The world’s climate crisis will be one of the top topics for leaders speaking at UNGA today.
The first national leader to speak, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, called for urgent multilateral action on climate, noting that fires continue to plague Brazil’s vast forests.
The world is “doomed” to interdependence when it comes to responding to climate issues and reducing fossil fuel dependence, Lula added:
Brazil is gearing up for the international climate meeting COP30, which will be held in the Amazonian city of Belém do Pará in 2025.
“Climate hazards are blowing a hole through the budgets of many African countries, costing up to five per cent of GDP – every year,” Guterres said. He called on G20 countries to slash energy emissions by 80%, and said that polluters should cover the cost of environmental damage.
“Those who shoulder the blame must foot the bill. Polluters must pay,” he added.
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Biden's final message to UNGA: "Some things are more important than staying in power"
From CNN's Michael Williams
President Joe Biden speaks during the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
President Joe Biden on Tuesday told the UN General Assembly that “some things are more important than staying in power,” making the case for democracy one final time to the gathering of world leaders.
In the closing stretch of his final speech to the UNGA, Biden referenced his decision to abandon his reelection campaign earlier this summer.
“Being president has been the honor of my life,” Biden said. “There’s so much more I want to get done.”
He added: “As much as I love the job, I love my country more. I decided, after 50 years of public service, it’s time for a new generation of leadership to take my nation forward.”
And after years of making speeches about the importance of democracy and the inflection point that he believes the world has reached, Biden beseeched his fellow global leaders to put their people above their own ambitions.
“Never forget, we are here to serve the people, not the other way around. Because the future, the future, will be won by those who unleash the full potential of their people to breathe free, to think freely, to innovate, to educate, to live and love openly without fear.”
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Biden touts his efforts on climate and global health, says world needs to "manage" AI
From CNN's Michael Williams
President Joe Biden addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Seth Wenig/AP
President Joe Biden on Tuesday touted his administration’s efforts to combat climate change, eliminate world hunger and harness the power of technology during his address at the UN General Assembly.
After referencing his administration’s efforts to fight climate change and provide crucial vaccines for Africa, Biden spoke about the benefits and challenges that come from technology including artificial intelligence.
“We’ll also have a responsibility to prepare our citizens for the future,” Biden said. “We’ll see more technological change, I argue, in the next two to 10 years, we have in the last 50 years.”
“Artificial intelligence is going to change our ways of life, our ways of work, our ways of war,” Biden said. He added that much of it “could make our lives better.”
“But AI also brings profound risks, from deep fakes to disinformation to novel pathogens to bioweapons,” he added.
“What we need to do to manage this new technology,” he said. “Nothing is certain about how AI will evolve or how it will be deployed.”
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Biden says innocents in both Israel and Gaza are "going through hell," calls for ceasefire negotiations
From CNN's Michael Williams
President Joe Biden addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
President Joe Biden on Tuesday lamented the death toll and pain felt by innocent civilians on both sides of the Israel-Gaza conflict while speaking at the UN General Assembly.
Biden referenced the hundreds of civilians killed during the Hamas attack on Israel 11 months ago and the scores who were taken hostage. “I’ve met with the families of those hostages. I’ve grieved with them,” Biden said. “They’re going through hell.”
He added: “Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell. Thousands and thousands killed, including aid workers. Too many families dislocated, crowding in the tents, facing a dire humanitarian situation.”
On the languishing ceasefire deal, Biden said: “Now is the time for the parties to finalize its terms, bring the hostages home and secure security for Israel and Gaza free of Hamas scrip, ease the suffering in Gaza and end this war.”
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Biden says "we cannot let up" on Ukraine support amid US' uncertain political future
From CNN's Michael Williams
President Joe Biden speaks during the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
President Joe Biden vowed to support Ukraine until victory in its war against Russia at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
Since the war began more than two years ago, Biden said, “our NATO allies and partners and 50 plus nations stood up” against Russia.
“Most importantly, the Ukrainian people stood up. I asked the people in this chamber to stand up for them,” Biden said.
“The good news is, Putin’s war has failed, and as has his core aim,” Biden added. “He set out to destroy Ukraine, but Ukraine is still free. He set out to weaken NATO, but NATO is bigger, stronger, more united than ever before, with two new members, Finland and Sweden.”
“But we cannot let up,” the president added – an allusion to the uncertain future of support for Ukraine both in the US, where former President Donald Trump is seeking another term in office and could implement serious cuts to aid to Ukraine, and around the world.
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Recounting past conflicts, Biden tells UN "things can get better" despite
From CNN's Michael Williams
President Joe Biden addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
President Joe Biden opened his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday by recounting conflict raging around the world when he first entered public office more than 50 years ago, including the Vietnam War.
Referencing the reconciliation between the US and Vietnam, Biden said: “Things can get better. We should never forget that. I’ve seen that throughout my career.”
It was that experience, among others that Biden has witnessed in his lengthy career, that made him confident that the world would make it through another difficult period as multiple crises swirl.
He later added: “As leaders, we don’t have the luxury” to “react with despair” at the world’s difficulties.
“Maybe because all I’ve seen and all were have done together over the decades, I have hope,” Biden said. “I know there is a way forward.”
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NOW: Biden speaks at the UN General Assembly
From CNN's Michael Williams
President Joe Biden has begun speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York - his final address as president to the gathering of world leaders.
Biden expected to discuss stalled ceasefire and hostage negotiations in UNGA speech
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
President Joe Biden will speak Tuesday about the painstaking and so-far-unsuccessful process to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, officials say, as he looks to update world leaders on what have been deeply frustrating negotiations to secure the release of hostages in Gaza.
Biden and top aides have begun to acknowledge that the prospects of reaching a deal before he leaves office are growing dim. Yet neither the president nor his team are giving up, and in his United Nations speech Biden hopes to provide high-profile pressure on all sides to come to agreement.
Despite ongoing frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, senior US officials currently view Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as the main impediment to a deal. In his speech, Biden will look to press the importance of all sides coming back to the table to strike an agreement.
During his diplomatic conversations on the margins of the UNGA this week, Biden will also discuss the ceasefire negations with other leaders, according to officials, as he looks for anything that might break loose the stalled talks.
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Biden aides planning several informal meetings with world leaders at UN to discuss Middle East
From CNN's Kayla Tausche
With President Joe Biden set to arrive at the United Nations shortly, top aides are planning pull-aside meetings with world leaders and their delegations to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East, a White House official told CNN.
While formal schedules have been set for weeks for Biden and his top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the sheer volume of heads of state in one place makes informal interactions relatively easy to facilitate.
“The entire world is there,” the official said, noting that the escalating situation between Hezbollah and Israel is also getting “added to the agenda” of pre-existing engagements.
Several top national security aides are planning to join Biden and Blinken at the General Assembly: national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Brett McGurk, the White House coordinator for Middle East and North Africa, and Amos Hochstein, a special adviser to Biden whose portfolio has increasingly centered on the region.
Sullivan, McGurk, and Hochstein – who have ramped up their shuttle diplomacy in recent months to reach an elusive ceasefire deal – are all expected to prioritize sideline discussions on the Middle East.
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Speeches have begun
From CNN's Karen Smith
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Representatives from the UN’s member nations have filled its General Assembly hall in New York, with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres giving the first speech.
His remarks, warning against the erosion of international law and a spiraling climate crisis, kick off a week of remarks from world leaders at the iconic green rostrum.
“Geopolitical divisions keep deepening. The planet keeps heating. Wars rage with no clue how they will end, and and nuclear posturing and new weapons cast a dark shadow,” Guterres said. “We are edging towards the unimaginable, a power keg that risks engulfing the world.”
“We are moving to a multipolar world, but we are not yet there. We are in a purgatory of polarity, and in this purgatory more and more countries are filling the spaces of geopolitical divides doing whatever they want with no accountability,” he added, urging leaders to embrace international law, reaffirm a spirit of dialogue fundamental to the UN, and to affirm its charter.
“That is why it is more important than ever to reaffirm the charter, to respect international law, to support and implement decisions of international courts and to reinforce human rights in the world, anywhere and everywhere,” Guterres said.
Leaders from Brazil, the United States, Turkey, Qatar, South Africa, Iran, Argentina, El Salvador and Italy are among those expected to speak later today. Here’s the full list.
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Biden looks to burnish foreign policy legacy at the UN as leaders grapple with a world on fire
From CNN's Sam Fossum and Kayla Tausche
President Joe Biden walks along the Rose Garden colonnade before departing the White House in February.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/FILE
After more than five decades at the forefront of United States foreign policy, President Joe Biden may have hoped to use his speech to over a hundred world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to burnish both his own legacy and the country’s leadership on the world stage.
But an escalation in what was already a major crisis in the Middle East means the world will be listening for short-term solutions on top of capstone remarks on how his presidency will be regarded by history.
Senior administration officials acknowledge that Biden, both in his remarks to the General Assembly and in engagements with world leaders, must confront that reality as Israel carries out extensive military strikes across Lebanon that so far have killed hundreds, including children, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
In meetings, Biden and top US officials will be discussing what can be done to “stabilize the situation,” one senior official said, while noting that Biden plans to “address the Middle East, especially this very, very difficult year that we have all gone through.”
Biden is expected to firmly plant his message in the need for global partners to solve the world’s most vexing challenges, an antidote to populist ideologies that have risen around the world, including in the United States.
But “peace efforts” – in the Middle East with concerns about a full-scale war breaking out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, on top of the conflict in Gaza, but also Ukraine – will take center stage, these officials say, highlighting the increasing instability that’s emerged in the last year.
US officials concerned UN General Assembly could further enflame tensions in the Middle East
From CNN's Kylie Atwood
The United Nations headquarters is seen in New York City on September 23.
Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg/Getty Images
As world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly (UNGA), some US officials are concerned that the global gathering could further enflame mounting tensions in the Middle East, two US officials said.
The concern is concentrated on what might countries around the world might say about the conflict while the entire world is watching, even as the US officials have been urging de-escalation for months and have reiterated that call in recent days.
Typically, US officials view UNGA as an opportunity to galvanize the world behind a major US push — such as supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggressions in recent years — making the anxiety US officials are feeling this year unique.
US officials are particularly bracing for the possibility of new countries recognizing Palestine as a state, officials explained. Even if new countries are not added to the effort to recognize it, they are watching for what the countries say that have already made the move earlier this year, such as US allies Norway, Spain and Ireland.
The US will also have eyes on the speech by the leader of the Palestinian Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas, and a possible speech by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu if he attends the gathering, which is a question that remains in the air.
The world leaders are gathering after a weekend of bombings from both Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, contributing to the most intense exchanges of fire between the two sides since the October 7. US officials are not tracking definite Israeli plans for a ground invasion into Lebanon after the weekend of escalations, but they remain concerned about the possibility.
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Ukraine’s Zelensky will present "victory plan" to defeat Russia during visit to US
From CNN's Michael Rios and Kathleen Magramo
Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the "Summit of the Future" in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, on September 23.
Caitlin Ochs/Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky toured a Pennsylvania ammunition plant on Sunday as he began a key visit to the United States in which he is expected to present his blueprint to defeat Russia to President Joe Biden and other allies.
Zelensky will fully outline his “victory plan” – which includes Kyiv’s long-stated request to use long-range missiles on targets inside Russia – to Biden for the first time during the visit before sharing it with both presidential candidates, US lawmakers and international partners, he said.
Zelensky is traveling to New York, where he will speak at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday and meet with leaders of the Global South, the G7, Europe and international organizations.
Zelensky kicked off his visit at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Biden’s hometown, where he thanked workers for providing Ukraine with munitions and said the facility would ramp up production of 155mm artillery shells crucial for Kyiv’s war effort.
“It is in places like this where you can truly feel that the democratic world can prevail,” he said. “Thanks to people like these – in Ukraine, in America, and in all partner countries – who work tirelessly to ensure that life is protected.”
Foreign leaders jostle for meetings with Trump and Harris — even as Biden ramps up his diplomacy
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
Foreign dignitaries descending on this week’s United Nations General Assembly are looking to take advantage of a choice opportunity to sound out the next leader of the free world, seeking early clues where US foreign policy is heading next.
The most sought-after meeting this week may be an audience with one or both of the candidates running for the White House. Even as President Joe Biden is busy himself with an intensive stretch of diplomatic engagements – including meetings at his home in Delaware, on the margins of the UN talks and an upcoming foreign trip – attention on the world stage is also turning to Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Each candidate is looking to cultivate their own diplomatic relationships in the final stretch of the campaign, seizing on this week’s UN meetings as an opportunity for talks that illustrate their divergent worldviews.
So far, only one leader appears set to meet both Harris and Trump: Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, who is making an urgent appeal to both candidates, along with Biden, for sustained help in combatting Russia’s invasion.
Harris, meanwhile, held talks in Washington with the United Arab Emirates’ president on Monday. And Trump has said he plans to talk this week with India’s prime minister.
On Sunday, Trump wrote on social media that he’d met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Qatar has acted as a key intermediary for Hamas in ongoing efforts to reach a hostage and ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
