UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Navigating a troubled
era’s choppy waters, world leaders gather for their annual meeting at
the United Nations on Tuesday to grapple with climate change, regional
conflicts and a dispute in the Middle East that could ripple across the
entire planet.
U.N. Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres will open the General Assembly proceedings with a
“state of the world” speech. He’ll be followed immediately by the
traditional first speaker — Brazil, represented by its new president,
Jair Bolsonaro — and the United States, represented by President Donald
Trump.
The United Nations, designed to
promote a multilateral world, has struggled in the face of increasing
unilateralism by the United States and other nations that favor going it
alone over the brand of collaboration that the global body advocates.
The
event unfolds against the backdrop of flaring tensions between Iran and
Saudi Arabia, backed by its longtime supporter, the United States. The
Saudis say Iran was responsible for an attack earlier this month on two
oil facilities, which Iran denies.
The Trump
administration, no fan of the Iranian government, has been engaged in
an escalating series of harsh words and threats with Tehran. The U.S.
has imposed increasingly crippling sanctions.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who is in New York, is scheduled to address world leaders on Wednesday.
This
year’s General Assembly session, which starts Tuesday and ends Sept.
30, has attracted world leaders from 136 of the 193 U.N. member nations.
That large turnout reflects a growing global focus on addressing
climate change and the perilous state of peace and security.
Other
countries will be represented by ministers and vice presidents — except
Afghanistan, whose leaders are in a hotly contested presidential
campaign ahead of Sept. 28 elections, and North Korea, which downgraded
its representation from a minister to, likely, its U.N. ambassador.
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled plans to attend and are sending
ministers.
Last week, Guterres repeated
warnings that “tensions are boiling over.” The world, he said, “is at a
critical moment on several fronts — the climate emergency, rising
inequality, an increase in hatred and intolerance as well as an alarming
number of peace and security challenges.”
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