United States President Donald, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan African leader Cyril Ramaphosa, on the first day, addressed the United Nations General Assembly in combative and wide-ranging speeches that levelled scathing criticism of world leaders on key global issues.
Trump attacks UN, Europe, immigration
Trump relentlessly mocked the United Nations yesterday in his first address since his White House comeback, blasting it for failing to bring peace and claiming the world body encourages illegal migration.
In his return to the UN General Assembly podium, Trump accused the UN of fostering an “assault” through migration on Western countries that he said were “going to hell”.
He likewise used the major forum to denounce efforts to reduce global warming, calling climate change concerns “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.”
“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” asked Trump.
“All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter,” he said. “It’s empty words, and empty words don’t solve war.”
The 79-year-old even complained about a broken escalator and teleprompter at the New York headquarters of the UN, which he has repeatedly targeted during both of his presidential terms.
“These are the two things I got from the United Nations, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” he said.
Trump accused the UN of “funding an assault” against the West by supporting mass migration, alleging the organisation had backed illegally entry into the United States.
“The United Nations is funding an assault on Western countries and their borders,” he said. “The UN is supporting people that are illegally coming into the United States.”
Touting what he said were his efforts to end seven wars, Trump turned to two where his outreach has produced no results – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.
He called recognition by a slate of Washington’s allies of a Palestinian state a “reward” to armed group Hamas for “horrible atrocities” and urged the group to release hostages to reach peace.
Trump lashed out at European allies, as well as China and India, for failing to stop oil purchases from Russia, while remaining relatively restrained on Moscow even as he said Washington was ready to impose unspecified sanctions.
Brazil’s Lula takes jab at Trump
Inacio Lula da Silva opened the United Nations General Assembly with a message to Donald Trump.
Lula said “attacks against the independence of the judiciary are unacceptable” and that “Our democracy and our sovereignty are non-negotiable”.
Lula’s speech and UN agenda may trigger fresh escalation between Brasilia and Washington, particularly over issues like the fate of former President Jair Bolsonaro and trade practices.
As part of a decades-long tradition, Brazilian leaders typically open the UN’s annual gathering in New York. But this year’s meeting came at an especially tense moment as the two largest nations in the Americas clash over the fate of former President Jair Bolsonaro — a Trump ally convicted of attempting a coup against Lula.
Turkish president urges leaders to help Palestinians
Erdogan urged “all world leaders to stand firmly with oppressed Palestinians today in the name of humanity”.
“Here, I sincerely appeal to all heads of state and government. Today is the day. Today is the day to stand upright by the oppressed Palestinians in the name of humanity. While your people react against the barbarism in Gaza, have the courage to follow through,” said Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“Today, we are also here at this podium to speak on behalf of Palestinian people, whose voices are being silenced, together with our own citizens,” said Erdogan.
Erdogan thanked all countries that have recognised Palestine so far, and called on the states that have not yet done so “to act without delay.”
He said that for 23 months, Israel has killed one child every hour in Gaza, stressing: “These are not numbers, but innocent people.”
“Every day, 2.5 million Gazans living within 365 square kilometers (141 square miles) are displaced, forced to move to another area,” said Erdogan.
“Innocent little children, only 2 or 3 years old, without hands, arms, or legs, sadly became an ordinary image of Gaza today,” the Turkish president said.
Holding up a photo of a child on the brink of starvation, Erdogan asked: “What conscience can endure, what conscience can remain silent on this? Can there be peace in the world where children die from hunger, lack of medicine?”
“Here, in America, in Europe, everywhere in the world, if a small thorn pricks a child’s hand, parents’ hearts hurt deeply; but in Gaza, children’s hands, arms, and legs have to be amputated without anesthesia. Let us be clear: This is the lowest point of humanity. Human history has not witnessed such savagery in the last century. Everything is unfolding right before our eyes. The genocide in Gaza is being broadcast live at any moment through the media and social media.”
In fact “there is no war in Gaza,” he said, as the Israeli army is using the most modern, deadliest weapons against innocent civilians.
Erdogan said Israel’s occupation under the pretext of the events of Oct. 7, 2023 is not counterterrorism, it is “a policy of deportation, exile, genocide, and mass slaughter.”
“Israel is not limiting itself to Gaza and West Bank; by carrying out attacks on Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon, it is also threatening regional peace,” he added.
The Turkish leader said Israel “completely lost control” after its attack on Qatar earlier this month, proving that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has no intention of (seeking) peace or freeing hostages.”
He said Israeli attacks have pushed aside basic human, women’s, and children’s rights, and freedom of expression, protest, equality, and justice
Ramaphosa calls for UN founding values to be upheld
Ramaphosa stressed the need for international law to be upheld.
“Through the UN Charter, the nations of the world pledged to uphold peace, development and human rights, which would be underpinned by international law,” he said.
“Now more than ever, we are called upon to uphold the values and advance the purpose of the United Nations,” he said.
Ramaphosa made what appears to be a glancing reference to Trump’s tariff policy, saying that both “geopolitical shocks and unprecedented trade policy volatility are destabilising the global economy and jeopardising a critical source of development finance”.
“In fact, trade is now being used as a weapon against a number of countries in the world. We must redouble our efforts to strengthen the link between trade and development,” he said.
He called for the lifting of the U.S.’s trade embargo on Cuba, which has been to varying degrees since 1962.
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Guterres warns: ‘the pillars of peace and progress are buckling’
With global peace and progress under siege, the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres challenged world leaders yesterday to choose a future where the rule of law triumphs over raw power and where nations come together rather than scramble for self-interests.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN’s founders faced the same questions 80 years ago, but he told today’s world leaders at the opening of their annual gathering at the General Assembly that the choice of peace or war, law or lawlessness, cooperation or conflict, is “more urgent, more intertwined, more unforgiving”.
“We have entered in an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering,” he said in his annual “state of the World” speech. “The pillars of peace and progress are buckling under the weight of impunity, inequality and indifference.”
But despite all the internal and external challenges facing the UN, he and General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock pleaded with its members not to give up. “If we stop doing the right things, evil will prevail,” Baerbock said in her opening remarks.
Guterres said the leaders’ first obligation is to choose peace, and without naming any countries, he urged all parties — including those in the Assembly chamber – to stop supporting Sudan’s warring parties.
He also didn’t name Israel but used his strongest words against its actions in Gaza, saying the scale of death and destruction are the worst in his nearly nine years as secretary-general, and that “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
While Guterres has repeatedly said only a court can determine whether Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, he referred to the case South Africa brought to the UN’s highest court under the genocide convention by name – and stressed its legally binding provisional measures, first and foremost to protect Palestinian civilians.
Since the International Court of Justice issued that ruling in January 2024, Guterres said, killings have intensified, and famine has been declared in parts of Gaza. He said the court’s measures “must be implemented – fully and immediately.”
The UN also is facing financial cuts as the U.S. and some other nations pulled back funding or have yet to pay their dues. Guterres said aid cuts are “wreaking havoc,” calling them “a death sentence for many.”
Macron calls Trump after being blocked by U.S. leader’s motorcade
Even presidents are subject to the annoyances of New York City traffic, as French President Emmanuel Macron learned late on Monday, when a New York City police officer stopped him crossing the street because of U.S. President Donald Trump’s motorcade.
But unlike most of those inconvenienced, Macron then rang Trump personally from the sidewalk to joke about his plight, according to a video clip circulating on social media.
“I’m sorry, Mister President, I’m really sorry,” a clearly embarrassed police officer told Macron who was trying to cross the street with members of his delegation.
“It’s just that everything’s been frozen right now. There’s a motorcade coming,” the police officer said.
“If you don’t see it, let me cross. I negotiate with you,” quipped Macron, a light-hearted reference to the negotiations he and other leaders will be involved in this week during the annual General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.
Forced to wait at the barricade, Macron then rang Trump.
“Guess what – I’m waiting in the street because everything is frozen for you,” Macron said, holding the phone to his ear, adding that he would like to have a short discussion with Trump and Qatar about the situation in Gaza.
A source close to the French president confirmed that Macron had spoken by phone with Trump while walking. The conversation was warm and friendly and allowed them to discuss several international topics, the source added.
