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2h ago

At U.N. General Assembly, Guterres Opens 80th Session With Stark Call to Choose Law Over Power

His call to implement the ICJ’s Gaza measures sets the tone for a week of hard diplomacy.

Jordan King Abdullah II addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Lithuania President Gitanas Nauseda addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
South Korea President Lee Jae Myung addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Overview

  • The General Debate opened in New York under the theme “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,” with Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaking first and U.S. President Donald Trump following.
  • Guterres condemned the scale of death and destruction in Gaza, said nothing justifies collective punishment, and urged full, immediate implementation of the International Court of Justice’s binding provisional measures alongside a permanent ceasefire, release of hostages, and humanitarian access.
  • He warned that UN operations are strained by unpaid dues and funding cuts from some members, saying aid reductions are wreaking havoc and amount to a death sentence for many vulnerable people.
  • The secretary‑general pressed for scaled‑up climate finance, including a credible roadmap to mobilize $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries by 2035, doubling adaptation finance to $40 billion this year, and fully capitalizing the Loss and Damage Fund.
  • He welcomed the Assembly’s creation of an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and an annual global dialogue on AI governance, as leaders including Volodymyr Zelensky and Syria’s Ahmad al‑Sharaa join the high‑level week.