Overview

• Opening the General Debate, the secretary-general said the world has entered "an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering" and urged leaders to opt for a world of laws rather than raw power.
• On Gaza, he demanded full and immediate implementation of the International Court of Justice’s measures, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and unhindered humanitarian access.
• He condemned the collective punishment of Palestinians and described the devastation in Gaza as the worst of his tenure, reiterating that a two-state solution is the only viable route to durable peace.
• He warned that aid cuts and unpaid dues are "wreaking havoc" on UN operations and called for financial justice and reforms to restore the organization’s capacity to deliver.
• He urged an end to external support fueling Sudan’s war, welcomed diplomatic efforts on Ukraine while calling for a full ceasefire and just peace, pressed to mobilize $1.3 trillion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2035 with doubled adaptation funding and a fully capitalized Loss and Damage Fund, and endorsed a new independent AI scientific panel with the warning that no company is above the law and no machine should decide who lives or dies.