World Leaders Gather in New York... UN General Assembly High-Level Week Begins

Leaders from around the world are gathering this week at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, to attend the UN General Assembly, often referred to as the "Super Bowl of diplomacy."

According to the UN on the 22nd (local time), the 79th UN General Assembly High-Level Week will begin on the 24th and last for one week.

During the General Debate, the annual highlight event of the UN General Assembly, representatives from 193 member states including heads of state, prime ministers, and ministers will take turns delivering speeches from the podium. The three major conflict issues expected to be the core agenda are the Gaza Strip war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas, which has lasted nearly a year, the Russia-Ukraine war ongoing for two and a half years, and the civil war in Sudan, Africa.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas will both deliver speeches during the General Debate on the 26th. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending the UN General Assembly High-Level Week for the third time since Russia's invasion, will speak on the 25th. He is also scheduled to attend and speak at a UN Security Council meeting related to Ukraine on the 24th, a day earlier. From Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend this year’s assembly and deliver a speech on the 28th. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not personally attended the UN General Assembly since 2015.

Additionally, during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, official side events such as the Future Leaders Summit and bilateral meetings between heads of state will take place. Ahead of the High-Level Week, at the Future Leaders Summit held on the 22nd, UN member states unanimously adopted the "Covenant for the Future" without a vote. The Covenant for the Future includes a code of conduct on climate change response and the promotion of multilateral diplomacy.

UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres stated at a press conference that day, "We are witnessing uncontrollable geopolitical divisions and rapidly worsening conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and elsewhere," urging member states to embrace a spirit of compromise.

Meanwhile, in response to this High-Level Week, South Korea’s government representative, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, will visit New York. Minister Cho will deliver a keynote speech during the General Debate on the 27th and attend open Security Council discussions and ministerial meetings of the Peacebuilding Commission. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui is expected to be absent, making a meeting with Minister Cho unlikely.