UN General Assembly 2023 updates: Zelenskyy condemns Russian ‘aggression’
Speakers at this year’s General Debate include US President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This live blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates from the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, September 19.
This live blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates from the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, September 19.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, urging more support amid Russia’s invasion.
- The 78th session of the UNGA brings together more than 140 world leaders to discuss pressing global issues.
- The General Debate, one of the UN’s most anticipated annual events, offers a platform for leaders to address issues of international concern through 15-minute speeches.
- Of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, only one will be represented by its top leader: the United States. Its president, Joe Biden, delivered a speech.
Japanese PM Kishida criticises Russia for not upholding international law
Fumio Kishida, prime minister of Japan, opened his speech by saying that Russian aggression against Ukraine had yet to cease and that the world needed to work towards cooperation and not division and confrontation.
“At a time when the international community is facing multiple crises and increasingly being divided, we need a common language which resonates with all of us,” he said.
“By shedding new light on human dignity, I believe the international community can overcome difference in regimes, in values and steadily advance towards human-centred international cooperation.”
Kishida called for the building of a peaceful and stable international community where human dignity was respected, and called on nuclear-armed states to step up efforts towards disarmament to create a world “without nuclear weapons”.
Japan wanted to protect the rights of vulnerable nations and people to live in peace under the rules of international law, he said.
“However, even to this day, Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, is infringing upon international law and the rule of law. Unilateral changes to the status quo by force or coercion are unacceptable anywhere in the world,” he said.
Violations of the UN charter and human rights must end, as must nuclear threats, he added.The Japanese prime minister also said he favoured normalisation of relations with North Korea.
He said that Japan was willing to resolve all issues with North Korea – including Pyongyang’s past kidnappings of Japanese civilians to train its spies.
“From the perspective of opening up a new era together, I would like to convey my determination to meet with President Kim Jong Un face to face at any time without any conditions,” Kishida said.
He said he would “like to hold high-level talks under my direct supervision to realise a summit meeting at an early time”.
The Japanese prime minister also addressed issues related to human trafficking, climate change, environmental protection, gender issues, preparation for future pandemics, the responsible use of AI and increased representation at the UN Security Council.
German Chancellor Scholz says no place for Russian imperialism in 21st century
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz began his speech by referring to the time when Germany was split between East and West, but both had joined the UN together, though as separate states, 50 years ago.
Germany’s history reminded that a policy of peace must not stop on one’s own doorstep, Scholz said, adding that Germany is aware that its current freedom, democracy and prosperity are “deeply rooted” in the wellbeing of Europe and the world.
More international cooperation is required in a multipolar world and the UN system is where that cooperation can be realised, he said.
“All of us. Almost all of us want force as a political instrument to remain banned,” Scholz said.
“All of us have an interest in ensuring that the sovereignty, territory integrity and political independence of our countries is respected, and all of us should know what this requires. Namely, that we also grant others these rights. These golden rules are universal,” he said.
Scholz then directed his words towards people suffering amid conflict from Africa to Ukraine.
“Russia’s war of aggression has caused immense suffering, not only in Ukraine. People around the world are suffering as a result of inflation, growing debts, the scarcity of fertiliser, hunger and increasing poverty,” he said.Because the war in Ukraine had consequences for the wider world, it was “right and proper” that the world is involved in the quest for peace. But it had to be a real peace, the German chancellor said.
“Peace without freedom is called oppression. Peace without justice is called dictatorship. Moscow too must finally understand that,” he said.
Russia is responsible for the war in Ukraine and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin can “end it any time with one single order”.
There is no place for imperialism in the multipolar world of the 21st century, he added.
Germany and all UN members promised on joining the world body to “unite our strength to maintain international peace and security”, Scholz said.
“Let us all do our best to live up to that promise,” he said.
Climate change was also a great challenge to the world, Scholz said in his speech, and industrialised countries had a particular responsibility in the fight against the climate crisis.
“Instead of waiting for others, we all have to do more together to achieve the Paris climate goals,” he said, noting that the world economy could only continue to grow with new renewable energy technologies.
The German chancellor also said that he supported reform of the composition of the UN Security Council. Africa, Asia and Latin America deserved greater representation, he said.
Czech President Petr Pavel blasts Russian aggression against Ukraine
President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel said the General Assembly carries “great responsibility for the shape of humanity’s future” and emphasised that no nation can cope with current global challenges alone in a speech that stressed the threat Russia posed to the wider world amid Moscow’s war of aggression on Ukraine.
“Because of Russia and a handful of other countries, our world is more dangerous,” Pavel said.
“The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to constitute a manifest violation of the UN charter and international law we all subscribe to,” Pavel said in his speech.
“My country has its own experience with wars and interventions, including decades-long military occupation imposed by Moscow,” he said.
Pavel told of how he had visited Ukraine and seen the infamous war crime scenes in Bucha and Borodyanka, and was close to the front lines in areas ravaged by fighting.
“The account of Russia’s atrocities, human rights violations and ferocious attacks against the innocent civilian population is overwhelming,” the Czech president said, drawing attention to the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia for “re-education” to “make them forget their culture and who they are”.
“Entire towns and villages wiped out for no reason. Mass graves and torture chambers in which people just disappear. Sadly, the evidence tells the story better than any statement. The list of stories full of horror is endless. Yet, we cannot just passively observe it. This must end. Russia must unconditionally withdraw all troops from the entire territory of Ukraine… Russia’s leaders must be held accountable for the crime of aggression against its neighbour,” he said.“It is our duty to ensure that those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity are held accountable”, he added.
Czechia will support Ukraine as long as necessary, Pavel said.
“What Ukrainian people truly deserve is peace”, he said, “a just and durable peace”.
The Czech President also said the “damaging effects” of Russian aggression are being felt across the world in terms of the weaponisation of food security as Russia blockaded Ukraine’s ports and destroyed stocks of grain.
“Ukraine’s security is our own security. From Africa to Europe to Latin America to Asia. I call on leaders of the free world to keep the unity and support of Ukraine,” he said.
Pavel also called out Russia’s “reckless threats to use nuclear weapons”, which threatened the whole system of non-proliferation in the world, and condemned the stationing of Russian nuclear missiles in Belarus.
Uruguay president pushes for stronger stance on climate change
President Luis Lacalle Pou of Uruguay called for benefits and penalties to ensure cooperation with climate change initiatives, similar to policies he has applied domestically.
He explained that Uruguay had implemented a system of sustainability-linked bonds that offer “prizes and penalties” based on the level of compliance with the Paris Climate Accords.
Lacalle Pou proposed this system could be expanded internationally.
“We are convinced, we understand, that this system of benefits and penalties should be applied to international loans, for example, market access, quotas and tariffs. This is not just a vocation to punish lack of compliance but rather to reward those who engage in processes that are environmentally friendly and are sustainable,” he said.
“Just like when we are children, there are incentives to improve. And this would mean nations would make more effort in their domestic economies and also globally.”
He also used the podium to “firmly condemn” the Russian invasion of Ukraine and “raise our voice against authoritarian populism”.
Africa needs ‘equal, firm commitment’ from UN members: Nigeria
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called for “an equal, firm commitment” to Africa as part of the UN’s 2030 goals.
“Broken promises of fair treatment and outright exploitation from abroad have also exacted a heavy toll on our ability to progress,” he said.
“If this year’s theme is to mean anything at all, it must mean something special and particular to Africa.”
Tinubu finished his speech with a message of regional empowerment: “Africa is not a problem to be avoided. Nor is it to be pitied. Africa is nothing less than the key to the world’s future.”
Panama highlights its pivotal role in maritime commerce in call for climate action
As drought-driven low water levels lead to a bottleneck at the Panama Canal, the country’s President Laurentino Cortizo highlighted the effects climate change is having on the world’s waterways.
“Panama is the bridge of the world. It is a crossroads at the centre of the Americas where all roads converge, thanks to our exceptional maritime connectivity,” he said.
But, Cortizo added, “the climate crisis is a ticking time bomb, and time is running out for all of us”.
He said his country has seen “the first case of climate displacement when we had to relocate the population of the Gardi Sugdub island due to rising sea levels”.
But earlier this year, Human Rights Watch warned that delays have stalled relocation efforts, disadvantaging Indigenous populations.
Mozambique calls for UN members to recommit to global solidarity
The President of Mozambique, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, said that the theme of this year’s General Debate points to the reasons why its member nations are falling short of the goals in its 2030 agenda.
That agenda aims to eradicate poverty and address other pressing issues like climate change. The theme at this year’s General Debate is “rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity”.
“The main reason for a lack of success for this agenda remains the absence of trust and solidarity between those who have a lot and those who have a little or almost nothing at all,” Nyusi said.
“Even among those who have a lot, rather than building trust and solidarity, they spend their resources investing in competition.”
Dina Boluarte says Peru has ‘overcome’ its ‘political and social crisis’
Under criticism for a violent crackdown on protesters this year, Peru’s President Dina Boluarte sought to project an image of stability before the General Debate.
“Peru is a country that respects democracy, the rule of law, human rights and international law,” she said, later adding, “Peru promotes peace.”
Boluarte became the first female president of Peru on December 7, 2022, after her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, attempted to dissolve Congress, culminating in his impeachment and arrest.
She highlighted that fact in her speech on Tuesday. But she downplayed the turmoil that came afterwards, saying that her administration had “overcome” Peru’s “political and social crisis” with “firmness and courage”.
She also touted her background, including her ability to speak the Indigenous language Quechua.
“I am a woman from the provinces,” she said, “I was born in the heights of the southern Peruvian Andes.”
Her administration has been accused of a violent crackdown against Indigenous and rural protesters who called for her resignation and new elections for Congress after Castillo’s impeachment.
Paraguay’s Peña reaffirms commitment to Taiwan
Peña, who campaigned on his country’s continued support of Taiwan, reiterated his support for the self-governing island at the General Debate.
“The government of Paraguay expresses its support to the Republic of China, Taiwan, to become a comprehensive part of the United Nations system,” he said.
Taiwan has not been part of the UN General Assembly since 1971 when a UN resolution recognised Beijing as the government of China. The Communist victory in China’s civil war had driven the Chinese Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, to Taiwan, leading to competing claims at the time.
Paraguay is the only country in South America to recognise Taiwan as a formal diplomatic ally. Under the “One China” principle, Beijing considers Taiwan its territory and refuses relations with any country that maintains diplomatic relations with the island.
Taiwan, therefore, has only 12 formal allies in the world, down from 13 after Honduras broke ties in March.
Paraguay’s President Peña calls for multilateralism but highlights its shortcomings
Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña, who was inaugurated just last month, has called for reforms to strengthen the UN and bolster its ability to respond to global crises.
“The lack of tangible results, inefficacy perceived in multilateral institutions and difficulties in addressing global problems in an effective manner have led to frustration and have led to an increase in the sense that national interests should prevail over multilateral cooperation,” he said from the podium.
He also denounced the “interference” of some countries in others’ affairs.
“As a result, we are seeing growing levels of distrust between states that makes cooperation and the willingness to commit to things of common good difficult,” he concluded.
Kyrgyzstan president warns Afghanistan humanitarian crisis endangers whole region
Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Zhaparov highlighted instability in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the government in 2021.
“The people of Afghanistan are experiencing significant difficulties which are amplified by the lack of coordinated global stance on the situation in this country,” he said from the podium at the General Debate.
Two years ago, the US withdrew its troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban quickly overthrew the US-backed government.
UN experts have warned about food insecurity in the years since, with approximately 875,000 children facing acute malnutrition. They also called for increased aid to the country.
“It would not be an exaggeration on my part to say that Afghanistan is threatened by a humanitarian crisis with its inevitable consequences for the security of not only the surrounding regions but also for the entire world community,” Zhaparov said.
“We call on the international community to providing humanitarian, economic assistance to the Afghan people.”
Bukele highlights El Salvador as an ‘example of what all countries can achieve’
As El Salvador prepares to hold its next presidential election in early 2024, its incumbent President Bukele is using his platform at the General Debate to play up his domestic policies and accuse critics of hypocrisy.
“We made the decision to purge the judiciary and the prison system, and then we changed laws to ensure terrorists wouldn’t escape out of prison any more. It was at that time that international condemnation started,” Bukele said of the controversial criminal justice reforms he instituted.
“Some countries, some media outlets and some so-called experts started systematic attacks against us for all the decisions we were making. People who never used their power or influence to call for security for our people who were being murdered suddenly started to speak against decisions we were making to stop this massacre.”
He said he would reverse the “mass exodus” of Salvadorians, calling El Salvador a “benchmark for security” and an “example of what all countries can achieve”.
El Salvador President Bukele plays up tough-on-crime record
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has touted his track record on crime at the UN General Debate, obliquely dismissing criticism that he has violated human rights in pursuing mass arrests of suspected gang members.
“In such a short amount of time, El Salvador went from being the world’s murder capital, from being the most dangerous country in the world to becoming the safest country in Latin America,” Bukele told the UN.
“This isn’t a promise any more. This is a reality that the El Salvadorian people are living through, and anyone from abroad is welcome to go see it for themselves.”
He took a swipe at Western nations that “proclaimed themselves to be the great defenders of human rights and democratic institutionality”, saying they gave countries like El Salvador “poison” instead of help.
He described his tough-on-crime approach as the “remedy”.
“No country has the right to impose its ideas, to impose their way of doing things, even less when these things don’t even work in our countries,” he said.
‘Int’l community cannot remain indifferent’ to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Argentinian leader
Argentina’s leader Alberto Fernandez has called on the international community to respond to Azerbaijan’s latest offensive in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
“While this assembly is being held, in the news we read that Azerbaijan has started military operations with the goal of taking control of Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said.
“The international community cannot remain indifferent to this reality. It must react preventively to avoid new ethnic, racial, religious or political persecution.”
Azerbaijan has described the latest offensive as “anti-terrorist activities” and demanded the “complete withdrawal” of ethnic Armenian forces from the region.
Read more about the offensive here.
Watch: Zelenskyy calls out Russian aggression at UNGA
Algerian leader calls on ICJ to give advisory opinion on Israeli occupation of Palestine
Algerian President Tebboune has called on the International Criminal Court (ICJ) to give an advisory opinion on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine.
He referenced a December 2022 UNGA resolution seeking such an opinion, which passed by a vote of 87 to 26 with 53 abstentions. The resolution calls on the ICJ to give a formal opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s policy of “occupation, settlement and annexation”.
The ICJ last weighed in on the issue of Israel’s occupation in 2004, when it ruled that Israel’s wall in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem was illegal. The Hague-based ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the top UN court dealing with disputes between states.
Its rulings are binding, though the ICJ has no power to enforce them.
“By giving an advisory opinion regarding the Israeli practices that affect human rights on occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, we aspire towards a victory and to honour the combat of the Palestinian people who have suffered so much and who have sacrificed so much living under occupation,” he said.
Algerian president says transparency at UN key to strong multilateralism
Algeria’s president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has called for reform and more transparency in UN organs, particularly in reforming the Security Council.
“Any effort to strengthen joint international action forces us to respond to the constant appeals to strengthen the multilateral system by reforming the main organs of our organisation in order to make them more transparent and ensure the necessary balance among the main organs and ensure equitable geographical distribution,” he said.
“This should be an absolute priority for the international community in order to find a consensus.”
Watch: A look at some of memorable UNGA moments
US leaving Iran nuclear deal is ‘egregious’ crime: Raisi
Raisi has denounced the US for nixing the multilateral Iran nuclear deal in 2018 under former President Donald Trump.
He said Washington committed an “egregious and unilateral crime in the international arena” by failing to live up to its obligations under the deal, which saw Iran scale back its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting US-led sanctions against its economy.
“The United States of America must explain transparently and demonstrate in a verifiable fashion that it does wish to reach a proper conclusion,” Raisi said, adding that Washington has to decide whether it wants to revive the pact or not.
Numerous rounds of indirect talks since Biden took office early in 2021 have failed to restore the agreement.
Iran does not support war in Ukraine, Raisi says
Raisi has said that Iran does not support the war in Ukraine and would back ceasefire initiatives and diplomatic measures to end the conflict.
“Our unambiguous position as the Islamic Republic: We do not stand nor support any war anywhere, not in Europe nor anywhere,” he said.
Iran has been accused of providing Russia with drones to use against Ukraine.
Raisi denounces ‘foreign presence’ in region
Raisi has hit out at the “foreign presence” in the Gulf region, referring to the thousands of US troops stationed in the area.
“Any type of foreign presence not only is not part of the solution, but it is the problem and the difficulty itself,” the Iranian president said.
Iran prioritising cooperation with neighbours: Raisi
Raisi has said that Iran is trying to increase cooperation with its neighbours, stressing that Tehran values the security of other countries in the region.
“The Islamic Republic extends a warm welcome to any hand that is extended in friendship, firmly believing that an independent and robust neighbourhood represents an opportunity for the entire region,” the Iranian president said.
Iran signed a China-brokered detente with Saudi Arabia earlier this year and re-established diplomatic relations with the kingdom.
Iran’s Raisi holds up Quran, condemns desecration of holy book
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has held up a copy of the Quran, condemning the desecration of the holy book after recent incidents in Sweden.
“We firmly believe that reverence for religions should hold a prominent position on the United Nations agenda,” Raisi said.
Watch: Biden urges world to stand with Ukraine
Kazakhstan president says holy books deserve ‘legal protection’
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has expressed concern about recent incidents of desecrating the Quran, calling for special protections for religious texts.
“Such barbaric acts against Islam, or any other religion, cannot be accepted as expressions of freedom, free speech and democracy,” Tokayev said.
“All holy books, including the Quran, deserve legal protection against vandalism.”