Annual meeting of the United Nations

2024-09-21 10:15:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Leaders from around the world will attend the annual meeting of the United Nations that begins this Sunday in New York. As the correspondent of the Voice of America, Margaret Besheer, announces, in this meeting the sharpest issues that the world is going through, among them the wars in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, will be addressed.

The United Nations General Assembly convenes for its annual meeting, while the world is going through a dark period.

"Geopolitical divisions and conflicts have spiraled out of control, not only in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, but also beyond," said the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.

As the one-year anniversary of the Gaza war approaches, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local government sources, and 100 hostages are still being held by Hamas. However, the UN meeting is unlikely to make progress towards a ceasefire.

VOA spoke with analyst Randa Slim of the Washington-based Middle East Institute.

"I don't see any possibility. The two sides, Hamas and the Israeli prime minister, seem to be preparing for a long conflict.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will undoubtedly highlight the war when they address the General Assembly on Thursday.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also expected to attend the meeting. Peace remains a long way off as more than two and a half years have passed since the start of Russian aggression in Ukraine.

During the Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Tuesday and then at the General Assembly, President Zelenskyy is expected to emphasize the need for more military support for Ukraine and long-range weapons.

Richard Gowan heads the International Crisis Group, an independent organization that works to prevent wars and develop policies for a more peaceful world.

"Kiev's biggest challenge is to stop Russia's advance in eastern Ukraine. The future of war will be determined on the battlefield and not in the United Nations."

President Vladimir Putin will not attend the meeting but will send the veteran chief diplomat, Sergey Lavrov.

Diplomats will also discuss the war in Sudan. 17 months of fighting have displaced more than 10 million people and plunged millions more into starvation, despite numerous international initiatives to reach a ceasefire.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attend the meeting for the first time. For President Joe Biden, this is the last meeting at the UN.

"He enjoys respect for his engagement at the international level but also regrets that he did not give a greater role to the UN in dealing with the war in Gaza," says Richard Gowan with the International Crisis Group.

After two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump, VOA questioned whether the United States can guarantee the safety of more than 130 leaders coming to New York City.

"All efforts have been made. There are police everywhere. Diplomatic Security is supporting the Secret Service to provide security for all heads of state who will be coming here," says Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States Ambassador to the UN.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will kick off the marathon week of world diplomacy on Sunday with a meeting on the future aimed at reforming the United Nations system to deal with new challenges, including climate change and artificial intelligence.