world leaders speak at the UN

Inflation, climate change, the conflict in Ukraine and the threat of a possible return of the cold war are among the main issues on the agendas of the more than 100 world leaders who will attend the 77th UN General Assembly in New York , an edition with high expectations due to the number of new faces leading the delegations, including several Latin American presidents.

The high-level meeting will begin on Tuesday the 20th and will last until next Saturday the 26th. Its central axis, entitled “A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlinked Challenges”, It shows that the world is suffering from a major interconnected crisis – aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, recent wars and the effects of climate change -, which must be faced with coordinated strategies.

The absences of the presidents of China, Xi Jinping, and Russia, Vladimir Putin, key figures in recent events, are notable. Highly anticipated will be the intervention of the leaders of the United States, Joe Biden and of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelenski, who will speak in the afternoon session on Wednesday 21.

Prior to the segment of heads of state, the United Nations headquarters in New York focused its attention this Monday on Education and its transforming power, at the end of a summit that gave the floor to young people and committed the heads of state to prioritize a fair and equitable way of learning.

Latam at the UN: new faces and old problems

Among the most anticipated appearances are the premieres of the presidents of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, of Chile, Gabriel Boric, and of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, whose electoral victories have tipped the balance in favor of the left in the region.

Petro is expected to refer to his efforts to achieve “total peace” in Colombia through pacts with all insurgent groups still operating in the nation, including criminal gangs and ex-FARC dissidents. The most notable result so far is the imminent resumption of interrupted talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN), the oldest active guerrilla group in Latin America.

According to sources from the Casa de Nariño to the press, Petro will also speak about the need to turn the war on drugs around and leave behind strategies that have not proven to be effective in the Colombian case. This is an issue in which the United States plays a major role and which is expected to be discussed with Biden during his presence in New York.

In contrast, Boric has not advanced much on the points of his speech. At the Summit of the Americas last June, the president called attention to the need for coordinated actions to stop climate deterioration, with special mention to renewable energies; and he called for the eradication of tax havens, while expressing concern about the current handling of migration crises.

There is expectation about the words of the progressive leader about the resounding rejection of Chileans to the draft of the new Constitution proposed by the Boric administration, which has not yet cleared up the question of how the process of updating the Magna Carta in Chile will continue.

For her part, Honduran Xiomara Castro will focus her remarks on managing migration, food security, natural disasters, sustainable development and human rights, according to a statement from her office.

Other major players in the region such as Argentina and Brazil will take advantage of the space on the podium to expose problems of their reality.

Jair Bolsonaro, who is seeking re-election to the Presidency of Basil on October 2, will take the opportunity to campaign and expose the points of his policy to his voters, the secretary of Multilateral Affairs of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Paulino Carvalho, told the press, who He also reported that Bolsonaro will speak about the war in Ukraine, food sovereignty and sustainable development, a topic by the Brazilian president that has received strong criticism from environmentalists.

For his part, Argentine President Alberto Fernández is expected to address the recent failed attack against Vice President Cristina Fernández and, as is customary in the interventions of Argentine leaders, ask the United Kingdom to sit at the negotiating table to deal with the claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

Among other expected speeches is that of the Mexican Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who will propose to sign a five-year truce between all nations that will include the cessation of all military action, including military tests. AMLO will also propose the creation of a committee to promote dialogue between Russia and Ukraine made up of Pope Francis, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

In the case of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, if he intervenes, he is expected to do so electronically because the sanctions imposed on his country by Washington have prohibited him from entering the United States since August 2017.

One of the surprises of this session is the presence of the Peruvian president, Pedro Castillo, who was authorized by the Congress of his country to travel to New York. The institution and Castillo have been at odds almost since his rise to power two years ago, to the point that Congress did not sanction his attendance at Gustavo Petro’s inauguration last August.

Premiere in Germany and the United Kingdom and expectations for Zelensky

Europe comes to the National Assembly in the midst of one of the most serious crises in recent years. The war in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia have put in check the energy supplies of countries such as Germany, whose chancellor, Olaf Scholz, will make his debut at the UN podium.

The new British Prime Minister, Lizz Truss, arrives in New York hours after the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Truss is expected to take the opportunity to meet with other world leaders and consolidate alliances within the framework of the Assembly. Truss and Biden postponed their bilateral meeting during the queen’s funeral ceremonies and are expected to talk next Wednesday

Despite not being in New York, Vladimir Zelensky’s remote speech will be one of the most followed, at a time when Ukraine has managed to turn around the conflict with Russia and has recovered occupied land in the south of the country. Zelensky is expected to use the podium to continue denouncing Moscow’s aggression and to continue calling for support and denouncing Moscow’s aggression.

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