UNGA 81: General Debate concludes with global priorities in focus

The General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly concluded yesterday (28 September), during which 194 delegations spoke on topics including peace, development, human rights, UN reform and the selection of the next secretary-general, as well as artificial intelligence (AI).

"Across your statements, one word came before all others -- peace. But peace was spoken of less as a distant aspiration than as an urgent defence of the UN Charter, international law and the protection of civilians," General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman said in his closing remarks.

"We heard that the maintenance of peace and security ... meant more than containing violence. It requires prevention, mediation and diplomacy, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, adherence to international law and investment in the conditions that sustain peace," he said.

Development was featured prominently throughout the debate, Rahman said. "Time is running out, and promises remain unfulfilled," he said, noting that only a few of the Sustainable Development Goals are on track and progress has stalled.

AI, or artificial general intelligence, has moved from the margins of discussions in previous years to the centre of the debate this year, he noted.

Four years ago, AI was raised in this hall by only five delegations. This year, 128 delegations addressed it, more than the number that spoke on climate change and human rights, he said.

More leaders recognised the extraordinary potential of AI to transform public services, accelerate scientific discovery, advance sustainable development and expand access to knowledge, while pointing out risks arising from it. Many framed AI as a question of governance, he said.

"AI governance must be human-centred, inclusive and attentive to the needs of developing countries. It must prevent a new divide," he said.

World leaders also spoke clearly about reforming the United Nations. Reform is not an exercise in rearranging structures or reducing budgets. Its measure is whether this organisation delivers better, faster and more fairly for the people it serves, said Rahman.

On the selection of the next secretary-general, member states called for a process that is transparent, inclusive and merit-based. The selection process must strengthen, not diminish, the legitimacy, independence and moral authority of the office of the UN secretary-general, he said.

Restoring trust, a theme of this year's debate, resonated widely in speeches, said Rahman.

"Trust cannot be commanded. It must be earned through consistency between words and deeds, equal application of international law, fulfilment of commitments, genuine representation, transparency, accountability, and results," he said. "Restoring trust, therefore, means making our institutions worthy of that trust. Meaningful, and often painful, reforms need to underpin efforts to rebuild trust."

This year's General Assembly high-level week again saw the weaponisation of visas by the United States, which abused its status as the host country.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was unable to travel to New York for a second consecutive year after the United States imposed a visa ban on Palestinian officials.

Addressing world leaders via pre-recorded video, Abbas said: "We reject these unlawful punitive measures. And we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based."

The Palestinian people and leadership should not be punished for demanding an end to the occupation or for turning to the United Nations, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, said Abbas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Thursday morning in the same session after Abbas. Netanyahu's presence triggered a mass exodus from the General Assembly Hall as scores of delegates walked out in protest.

Netanyahu was booed as the Israeli delegation sat in the hall, while supporters in the gallery cheered him on.

The theme of this year's General Debate was "Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all."

During the high-level week, meetings were also held on sustainable development, climate action, sea-level rise, pandemic prevention and response, among other issues.