In speeches and remarks leading up to the start of the leaders’ meeting on Tuesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cited the “enormous” task of not only saving the planet, “which is literally on fire,” but also dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He also pointed to the “lack of access to finance for developing countries to recover — a crisis not seen in a generation” that has seen ground lost on education, health and women’s rights. Guterres will deliver his “state of the world” address at the opening of the annual high-level global gathering on Tuesday. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said it would be “a sober, substantive and solutions-focused report card” for a world “where geopolitical differences put us all at risk.” “There will be no sugar coating his remarks, but he will describe the reasons for hope,” Dujarric told reporters on Monday. The 77th General Assembly of world leaders is being convened in the shadow of Europe’s first major war since World War II — the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has unleashed a global food crisis and opened rifts between the major powers in a way that not seen since the Cold War era. However, almost 150 heads of state and government are on the final list of speakers. This is a sign that despite the fragmented state of the planet, the United Nations remains the key gathering place for presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and ministers to not only express their views but meet privately to discuss challenges in global agenda — and I hope it makes some progress. At the top of that agenda for many: Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, which not only threatens its smaller neighbor’s sovereignty but has raised fears of a nuclear meltdown at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in the now Russian-held southeast of the country. Leaders in many countries are trying to prevent a wider war and restore peace in Europe. Diplomats, however, do not expect any major progress this week. The loss of important grain and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and Russia has caused a food crisis, especially in developing countries, and inflation and rising costs of living in many others. These issues are high on the agenda. At a meeting on Monday to promote the UN’s 2030 goals – including ending extreme poverty, ensuring quality education for all children and gender equality – Guterres said the world’s many pressing risks make it “tempting to put our long-term development priorities to one side. “ But the UN chief said some things cannot wait – among them education, decent jobs, full equality for women and girls, comprehensive health care and action to tackle the climate crisis. He called for public and private funding and investment, and above all for peace. The death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and her funeral in London on Monday, attended by many world leaders, created a last-minute headache for the high-level meeting. Diplomats and UN staff have struggled to cope with changes in travel plans, the timing of events and the logistically complex speech schedule for world leaders. The global gathering, known as the General Discussion, was entirely virtual in 2020 due to the pandemic and hybrid in 2021. This year, the 193-member General Assembly is returning to face-to-face talks only, with one exception – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Over objections from Russia and some allies, the assembly voted last Friday to allow the Ukrainian leader to pre-record his speech for reasons beyond their control – the “ongoing foreign invasion” and military hostilities that require him to perform its “national defense and security duties”. By tradition, Brazil spoke first for over seven decades because, in the first sessions of the General Assembly, it offered to start when no other country did. The US president, representing the host country of the United Nations, is traditionally the second speaker. But Joe Biden is attending the Queen’s funeral and his speech has been postponed until Wednesday morning. Senegalese President Macky Saul is expected to take Biden’s place.
Edith M. Lederer is the chief UN correspondent for The Associated Press and has covered international affairs for more than half a century. For more AP coverage of the UN General Assembly, visit
