World leaders are gathering in New York to take part in the High-level Week of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), set to open on Tuesday.
The UNGA, which kicked off on 9 September and runs through to this Saturday, will see speeches by representatives, often heads of state, of the 193 member states and the two observer countries, the Holy See and the State of Palestine.
Palestinian representatives are however expected to participate in this year’s 80th iteration of the UNGA via video link, after the US Department of State denied visas to officials representing the Palestinian Authority, including President Mahmoud Abbas, citing breaches in commitments.
The war in Ukraine will also be high on the agenda of discussions by leaders. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to take centre stage on Wednesday to deliver his address as Russia’s full-scale invasion of his country nears the four-year mark.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also scheduled to deliver an address, replacing President Vladimir Putin, which is to appear on Saturday.
This year’s assembly is also expected to feature debates on further sanctions on Iran, climate and sustainability development goals, other humanitarian crises and reforms to the UN’s operational capacity – the UN80 initiative – initially announced in March.
Palestine
Palestinian statehood is expected to be one of the biggest topics of this year’s UNGA. It comes as global pressure continues to mount on Israel in objection to its conduct of war in Gaza, quickly approaching its second year, and the dire humanitarian crisis that has ensued.
Much of the international community has also slammed the Israeli government over its plans in the occupied West Bank and the growing settlement movement, which are considered illegal under international law.
In reaction, many countries, including France, Belgium and Malta, are expected to formally recognise Palestinian statehood in Monday’s session, in an effort to keep hopes of a two-state solution alive.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made official the move in what appears to be a coordinated Commonwealth initiative on Sunday, which also included Australia and Canada.
In separate statements, the three countries announced their full and unconditional recognition of the Palestinian state, despite opposition from the US and Israel.
Portugal has also formally recognised Palestine on Sunday ahead of the event.
The announcements are likely to attract heavy criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will also be in attendance at the UN headquarters in New York. The Israeli premier is expected to take the UNGA stage on Friday.
Sanctions on Iran
World leaders are running against the clock on whether to reimpose sanctions against Iran this week.
On Thursday, the 30-day dispute resolution process to secure a nuclear deal with Tehran, launched by Germany, France and the UK, the so-called E3, is set to expire.
E3 countries have proposed a six-month window to find a diplomatic agreement with Iran. The UN Security Council on Friday rejected a draft resolution to permanently lift sanctions on Iran, giving only a few days to find a deal.
European countries have demanded the restoration of UN nuclear inspectors on the ground to address concerns about Tehran’s stock of enriched uranium and a reengagement with the US. Iran maintains its stance, denying any desire to acquire nuclear weapons.
The diplomatic channel was reopened after the end of the Israel-Iran 12-day conflict. In June, Israel launched a military offensive on Iran to address threats which Netanyahu described as having “grave consequences” to world peace.
The Israeli operation targeted Iranian politicians, military leaders, nuclear facilities and scientists, as well as military sites. The US intervened just days after Israel launched its incursion, carrying out precision attacks on the country’s three main nuclear sites.
US President Donald Trump announced shortly after the attack that seven B-2 stealth bomber aircraft, each carrying bunker-buster bombs, successfully “obliterated” Tehran’s facilities. The assessment was also endorsed by Netanyahu, who claimed that Trump’s attacks set back the Iranian project by years.
Tehran has however downplayed the US attacks, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claiming that Trump’s remarks were “heavily exaggerated”.
Paris climate agreement
UN Secretary General António Guterres is also expected to gather signatories of the Paris Agreement on Wednesday to update their National Determined Contribution (NDCs).
The agreement, adopted in 2015, is a legally binding international treaty which aims to combat the catastrophic impacts of climate change by keeping global warming to well below 2ºC (preferably 1.5ºC) above pre-industrial levels.
NDCs are national climate action plans that aim to reduce carbon emissions and work on ways to advance clean energy initiatives.
The Paris Agreement requires that NDCs are updated every five years with increasingly higher ambition, taking into consideration each country’s capacity.
UN’s Reform initiative
The UN’s announced Reform, dubbed the UN80 initiative, is also expected to be addressed at the High-level week of the UNGA.
It was first unveiled in March in response to the UN’s severe cut in funding, which has created a financial crisis for the intergovernmental organisation.
The UN will face over $500 million (€426 million) in reductions to its regular budget. The cuts will feature slashings of around 15% in budget and close to a 19% cut in workforce (compared to 2025) for the upcoming 2026 fiscal year.
The cuts come as the UN continues to grapple with chronic liquidity problems, related to contributions from member states and heavily exacerbated by Trump’s policies.
The US has typically covered around 22% of the organisation’s annual budget. Sources at the UN say the Trump administration has not made any payments since his return to the Oval Office.
Guterres earlier announced a revised budget of $3.24 billion (€2.76 billion), down from around $3.7 billion (€3.15 billion).
Guterres says the UN80 initiative looks to “make the UN more agile, integrated, efficient, and better able to respond to today’s global challenges in a context of tightening financial resources.”
The reform is still under discussion among member states. The UNGA is a good setting for further talks among world leaders.