In a gathering meant to promote global harmony, it’s surprising how frequently the topic of warfare comes up.
This year’s UN General Assembly convened in New York under the somber weight of ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan—events that set the tone for the discussions ahead.
As leaders arrived for the inaugural session on Tuesday, few anticipated the escalation of tensions that would unfold over the week.
A new chapter ignited in the Middle East, escalating the altercation between Israel and Lebanon.
Meanwhile, almost inconspicuously, China launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean in four decades, a move that didn’t go unnoticed by some observers.
World leaders sound the alarm at the General Assembly
Reflections of dismay
The debates at the General Assembly trudged forward, with speaker after speaker lamenting the dire condition of global affairs.
In his opening remarks, Secretary General António Guterres proclaimed, “Our world is caught in a whirlwind.”
He warned, “We are teetering on the edge of an unimaginable crisis—a powder keg that threatens to engulf the planet.”
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva followed suit, amplifying the gloomy sentiment.
“Today, we find ourselves in an era marked by escalating anguish, mounting frustration, rising tensions, and pervasive fear,” he cautioned the gathered diplomats.
In a bid to lighten the atmosphere, U.S. President Joe Biden delivered what may be his final address to the UN.
“I understand that many view today’s world with trepidation and despair, but I refuse to,” he assured fellow leaders.
“Maybe it’s due to my experiences over the years and all that we’ve achieved together that keeps my hope alive,” he said.
Yet, as the seasoned statesman made his exit, one couldn’t help but wonder if hope had exited alongside him.
Rising tensions leave delegates exasperated
With conflicts spiraling, the impotency of the UN came into stark focus again, prompting some attendees to question the purpose of their journey to New York.
“The mechanisms and principles that were created to prevent wars—many of which the influential West endorsed—are increasingly ineffective,” remarked Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser at the Crisis Group.
“The United Nations has been largely immobilized in addressing significant global crises,” she added.
Little appeared to indicate cooperation among nations, as leaders continued to rattle sabers and hurl verbal barbs from the podium.
Ukraine’s fight for visibility amidst growing Middle Eastern chaos
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lashed out at China and Brazil for offering “half-hearted settlement proposals” that prioritized their interests at the expense of Ukraine.
He also dismissed the UN Security Council as an ineffective platform for conflict resolution, inviting member states to his own peace summit, where no veto would be permitted.
Pitifully, President Putin, who was not in New York but rather nestled in Moscow, responded to Zelensky’s entreaty for long-range missiles from Western powers with a new threat: nuclear warfare.
But as the conflict in the Middle East took the spotlight, Zelensky struggled to make himself heard.
In his General Assembly address, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan did not hold back in his criticism of Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, even comparing him to Adolf Hitler. Other global leaders similarly denounced Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
However, when Netanyahu finally addressed the UN General Assembly on Friday, having postponed his arrival, he adopted a stubbornly combative stance, dashing any lingering hopes for a swift resolution to the tensions with Lebanon.
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A stream of delegates vacated the hall as Netanyahu began his remarks, where he asserted, “We will continue to degrade Hezbollah until we meet all our objectives.” He insisted that nations must decide between Israel or Iran as either a “blessing” or “curse” in the Middle East.
In his comments directed at Iran—whose seat in the Assembly was pointedly vacant—he stated, “For the tyrants of Tehran, should you strike us, we will strike back.” He added, “No part of Iran is out of reach of Israel’s long arm, and this is equally true across the Middle East.”
Netanyahu went on to criticize the UN, calling it “a swamp of antisemitic vitriol” and a “house of darkness.”
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi later pressed reporters to take action, urging the UN Security Council to “fulfill its obligations” and uphold international law.
He cautioned, “If decisive action isn’t taken, war could engulf us all.”
Escalation in the Middle East
The aforementioned Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut while Hezbollah retaliated with rocket fire toward Israel.
In a push for de-escalation, France convened an urgent session of the UN Security Council. Just hours later, along with the U.S., it sponsored a 21-day ceasefire proposal involving Israel and Hezbollah.
Nevertheless, Israeli officials swiftly rejected the proposal, with Netanyahu committing to “full-force” military action in Lebanon.
As fears of another Gaza-style conflict took root, despair loomed large among UN officials on the ground.
“We’re witnessing the most lethal period in Lebanon in over a generation. Many are expressing their concern that this could merely be the tip of the iceberg,” remarked Imran Riza, the UN’s top humanitarian official in Lebanon.
The UN refugee agency alerted that tens of thousands were fleeing into Syria.
“We appeal for an end to the bombings overall, but particularly to spare those attempting to evacuate,” stated Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the UNHCR Representative in Syria, at the Syria-Lebanon border.
While Israel ramped up its offensive against Lebanon, the world turned its gaze toward Iran, speculating on its next move.
Experts suggest Tehran seeks to avoid direct involvement in a regional warfare scenario against the U.S., according to Alex Vatanka from the Middle East Institute.
“It’s more plausible they’ll engage Israel through their proxies,” he noted during an interview with RTÉ News. Yet, he warned, “this careful restraint cannot persist indefinitely if Israel continues its aggression,” adding that such a military strategy might well be what Israel opts for.
World leaders anxious about a potential regional conflict
Sudan’s severe turmoil
As the crisis escalated in Lebanon, discussions shifted to another heartbreaking conflict—Sudan.
This side-event took place amid alarming reports regarding a siege in El Fasher and rekindled tensions in the capital, Khartoum.
“Given our bitter history, should El Fasher fall, we risk severe ethnic violations, including summary executions and sexual violence from the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) and their allied militias,” warned UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
American Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told ministers gathered that civilians in Sudan “are facing famine, with some reduced to consuming foliage and dirt to quench their hunger pangs but stave off starvation.”
Yet, the inertia of the global community hovered heavily in the room.
“I, like you all, feel a deep sense of shame that such incidents are unfolding on our watch,” she expressed with palpable disappointment.
Meanwhile, humanitarian efforts struggled with inadequate funding.
According to UN statistics, the $2.7 billion appeal to assist 14.7 million Sudanese stands at less than fifty percent funded. Furthermore, a $1.5 billion appeal for 3.3 million refugees in neighboring countries sees only a quarter of the necessary funding.
As the week drew to a close, a taunting gloom settled over UN headquarters.
“This General Assembly has been quite serious and deeply intense,” noted Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, during a conversation with RTÉ News.
He remarked that the Secretary General remains profoundly alarmed by the unfolding crises in Beirut, Gaza, and Sudan, to name only a few pressing concerns.
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
