World leaders from 193 countries across the globe gathered in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which marked the UN’s 80th anniversary.
The event is set to bring together global leaders, including the United States (US) President Donald Trump, prime ministers, top diplomats, and business leaders, to address urgent issues and promote consensus in response to the world’s most pressing challenges.
General assembly
Each year, the opening of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) commences on September 9; however, the main events unfold during the “high-level week”, from September 23 to 30 at the UN Headquarters in New York, where the General Debate is held.
According to the UN, this year’s theme, “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,” emphasises reinvigorating multilateralism, accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and addressing global challenges amid geopolitical shifts, technological advancements, and climate urgency.
As tradition dictates, Brazil opens the debate, followed by the United States as host country.
The speaking order is based on the level of representation, preference and other criteria such as geographic balance.
Only the Holy See, the State of Palestine and the European Union are invited to participate in the general debate and their speaking slots are determined by the level of representation.
The European Union delivers its statement on September 25, alongside leaders from across Europe and around the world.
Better together theme
This year’s debate theme, “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights”, reflects the anniversary of the United Nations, founded in 1945, 80 years ago, and underscores the call for renewed global commitment to multilateralism, solidarity and shared action for people and planet.
The event brought together a constellation of transformative global and national efforts and demonstrated how just and inclusive transitions are accelerating progress, even in the face of global challenges.
Starting Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the first day of the high-level General Debate, more than 150 heads of state and government will take turns at the podium of the UN General Assembly to deliver an address outlining national priorities in the General Assembly Hall where Germany’s Annalena Baerbock presides over the session as President of the General Assembly and becomes the 5th woman in 80 years to preside over the Assembly, guiding discussions on the theme, “Better Together.”
Two-State Solution
High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution: Co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, the meeting aims to catalyse concrete, time-bound and coordinated international action toward the implementation of the two-state solution.
After World War II, 50 countries founded the United Nations, pledging global peace and human rights. Eighty years later, as divisions deepen, the UN struggles to overcome deadlock conflicts such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Many are questioning the relevance of the United Nations in a world of unresolved crises.
After World War II, delegates from 50 countries, representing 90 per cent of the world’s population, gathered in San Francisco to found the United Nations.
UN’s core budget
Today, the UN’s core budget exceeds $3.6 billion (€3 billion), while agencies such as the World Food Programme, UNHCR and WHO rely on voluntary contributions. US support has declined in recent years, with funding cuts and withdrawals from agencies.
As world leaders gather for the latest UN General Assembly on the theme “Better Together,” deep divisions are evident. The Security Council remains deadlocked on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
As world leaders gathered on Tuesday to mark its 80th anniversary and open the General Debate, Secretary-General, António Guterres, warned that “impunity is the mother of chaos”, and cooperation is “a practical strategy for survival, not an act of naiveté,” but cautioned that the principles of peace and progress are being eroded by war, inequality and climate chaos.
The debate got underway with contrasting visions from the President of Brazil, Lula, who opened the debate, and US President Donald Trump.
Global temperature
“Science says limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees by the end of this century is still possible.
But the window is closing, emissions, temperatures, and disasters keep rising and those least responsible suffer the most. Renewables are the cheapest and fastest source of new power and call for the “stepped-up action and ambition, especially through strengthened national climate plans,” the UN Chief said.
The G20, the biggest emitters, must lead, guided by common but differentiated responsibilities. But also, all countries must lead by defining a credible roadmap to mobilise $1.3 trillion annually in climate finance by 2035 for developing countries.
“The choices we face are not part of an ideological debate.
They are a matter of life and death for millions as peace is rooted in international law and is humanity’s first obligation, stressing that human rights are not an ornament of peace, they are its bedrock,” and these rights, social, economic, political, civil and cultural are universal, indivisible and interdependent.
And while “We have the solutions and tools”, he said, the fuel to achieve them through the shared roadmap of the Sustainable Development Goals needed financing to fuel it, but aid cuts were wreaking havoc.
“We know what we need, yet we are pulling away the very lifeline that makes it possible. To choose dignity, we must choose financial justice and solidarity,” he said.
The African group
Representing 54 member states, the African Group (AG) constitutes the largest regional bloc within the UNGA, and for Africa, the UNGA remains a critical platform for asserting its diplomatic influence, advocating for sustainable development, peace, and governance reform.
Central to Africa’s diplomatic engagement within the UNGA is its unwavering commitment to multilateralism.
The continent has consistently endorsed the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), championing initiatives to advance environmental sustainability, foster economic growth, alleviate poverty, and improve healthcare and education.
Shaping global policies
Africa’s contributions are pivotal in shaping global policies that address systemic inequities, particularly those rooted in the enduring legacy of colonialism and historical underdevelopment.
The African Group’s ability to present a unified front on issues related to sustainable development and humanitarian aid is vital to its influence in global governance.
This collective strength is also evident in Africa’s focus on long-term goals such as reforming international multilateral institutions, protecting the environment, and promoting peace in conflict-affected regions.
Source: graphic.com.gh