General Debate in the UN Assembly

The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly began on Sept. 9 in New York, United States of America. World leaders convened in Turtle Bay in order to address the General Assembly where the debate was largely shaped by the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

Annalena Baerbock of Germany, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs until 2025, served as the President of the General Assembly and declared the theme of this year's debate as “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.” Baerbock began her remarks by highlighting the plight of children in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, and gang violence in Haiti. Moving on, she stated that cynics of the United Nations needed to realize that the “the [United Nations] Charter, our Charter, is only as strong as Member States’ willingness to uphold it,” encouraging the rest of the delegates to “act when action is needed.” 

The speeches of the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly were followed by the speeches by President Lula of Brazil and President Trump of the United States of America. Prior to Trump’s speech, the escalator he was riding malfunctioned, which  Trump suggested could be sabotage (the United Nations denied the allegation, stating that it was rather a safety mechanism). This was one of the many criticisms Trump laid against the United Nations, stating that the organization “is supposed to stop invasions, not promote them.”  Trump’s speech also largely focused on immigration, contrasting his policies with those of the previous Biden administration. Furthermore, Trump went on to state that “if you don’t get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail,” in line with his administration’s support for coal energy. On the war between Ukraine and Russia, Trump stated that the conflict ran for too long, and that he would be imposing harsh sanctions and tariffs against the Russian Federation. Following Trump’s statements, President Zelensky of Ukraine stated that he was “surprised” by Trump’s shift in position with respect to the war in Ukraine and believed that the relationship between him and Trump has gotten “better.” On the war in Gaza,  Trump declared that “we have to negotiate peace, get the hostages back — all 20 back — and 38 dead bodies back.” Trump, referring to European states’ recognition of Palestine, stated that this unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state could amount to “a reward to Hamas for its horrible atrocities.” Under Trump’s directives, the State Department of the United States of America had previously denied Palestinian officials visas necessary for them to travel to the United Nations General Assembly, a move criticized by United Nations experts and many of the member states who believed that such an act is against the 1947 Headquarters of the United Nations Agreement. The State Department explained their reasoning by declaring that the Palestinian Authority has been failing to “consistently repudiate terrorism — including the October 7 massacre — and end incitement to terrorism in education.” 

 Trump’s speech was followed by speeches from Presidents of Indonesia and Türkiye, Subianto and Erdoğan respectively—both of whom are presidents of large, Muslim-majority nations. Both presidents mentioned support for the two-state solution in Israel and Palestine, with Subianto stating that “both Palestine and Israel must be free and independent, safe and secure from threats and terrorism.” Erdoğan further stated that the situation in Gaza has become indefensible, expressing that it amounted to a “barbarity” and “genocide.”  

In the afternoon, the General Assembly heard a speech from the Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in which Petro harshly criticized Trump for the latter’s military strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels off the coast of Colombia. Petro went on to condemn Trump and the inaction of the wider United Nations General Assembly with respect to the war in Gaza, stating that “this forum [the General Assembly] is a mute witness to a genocide.” Following his speech, Petro participated in a pro-Palestinian rally in New York in which he has called American soldiers to “Disobey Trump’s orders.” After the rally, the State Department declared that Petro’s visa would be revoked due to his “reckless and incendiary” comments. 

The following day, the General Assembly heard Ukrainian President Zelensky’s speech. Zelensky highlighted the failure of international law to protect Ukraine against Russian aggression, stating “because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues,” referring to Russia’s constant shelling of Ukrainian power plants. Zelensky further warned of democratic backsliding led by Russian policies in Eastern Europe, highlighting the situations in Georgia and Moldova. Zelensky finished his remarks by calling on world leaders not to “stay silent while Russia keeps dragging this war on” and “join us [Ukraine] in defending life and international law and order.”

Two days later, on Sept. 26, the General Assembly heard from Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel. As Netanyahu took the podium, dozens of diplomats and officials emptied the General Assembly hall in protest, leaving Netanyahu to address a largely empty hall. Leading news outlets such as the New York Times, commented on the symbolism of the moment, stating that the empty hall has become a testament to Israel’s growing isolation in the midst of its war in Gaza. Netanyahu, seemingly unbothered by the walkout, used his speech to criticize the member states which have begun to unilaterally recognize the Palestinian state, stating that European nations such as France and the United Kingdom were “reward[ing] the worst antisemites (referring to Hamas) on Earth.” Contrasting with his remarks on European leaders, Netanyahu took the time to express his appreciation for  Trump’s support during the conduct of the war in Gaza, stating that the United States is “forcefully fighting the scourge of antisemitism.” Netanyahu also highlighted that Israel’s actions across the region, namely in Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen, helped bring down a web of Iranian proxies that waged war on Israel. Responding to growing claims of a genocide going on in Gaza from experts and member states around the world, Netanyahu stated that such claims were fueled by antisemitism. 

Baerbock closed the general debate of the 80th session of the General Assembly on Sept. 29. In her closing remarks, Baerbock stated that “Member States must do more to stem the tide of war and violence: to protect and feed starving civilians in Gaza, to return to peace to Ukraine, to protect women and girls in Sudan.” Referring to the New York Declaration on the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, Baerbock stated that “what happens in the General Assembly Hall matters,” as the Declaration led many Western European states to recognize Palestine for the first time. Baerbock further called for “an immediate ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid for civilians and the immediate release of the remaining hostages.” Talking about women’s rights and climate action, Baerbock highlighted the importance of continued efforts to advocate for inclusionary politics. Baerbock finished her remarks by stating that nations of the world needed one another to tackle problems that “no country alone can solve.”

Photo Source: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Flickr