Powerful countries are pushing the world closer to the brink of nuclear conflict as mounting distrust and divisions corrode the bedrock of international cooperation, driving the multilateral system towards gridlock and dysfunction, world leaders warned today, as the General Assembly high-level debate concluded its fifth day of discussions.

Amid urgent calls for a new and more effective vaccine, Member States at the high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis (TB) approved today a political declaration reaffirming their collective commitment to end by 2030 the infectious disease which — although preventable and curable — claimed the lives of 1.6 million people in 2021.

Recommitting to universal health coverage, Member States today endorsed a political declaration proclaiming that every human being has the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.  The declaration, which has yet to be formally adopted by the General Assembly, comes four years after the adoption in 2019 of the first Declaration on the subject, in which Member States committed to implementing “high-impact” policies to protect people's health.

On the precipice of a technological revolution — following widespread transition to digital solutions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid advancements in artificial intelligence — speakers in the General Assembly today continued the annual high-level debate by contrasting the benefits and risks of this progress, along with its potential to either facilitate development or perpetuate inequality.

As the Security Council concluded its high-level open debate on effective multilateralism and the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine, speakers underscored the need for dialogue, diplomacy and a just peace among Member States, stressing the need to uphold the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, in efforts to bring a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine.

Use of force undermines the prospect for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, speakers in the Security Council warned today, as they assessed the situation resulting from the latest military operation by Baku in Nagorno-Karabakh and the immediate truce that followed.

Building resilience and tackling the adverse impact of climate change should be an urgent priority for all, world leaders stressed today, as the General Assembly high-level debate concluded the third day of its deliberations, with speakers emphasizing that no meaningful climate action or development can take place in conditions of financial distress.

World leaders adopted a political declaration today calling for stronger international collaboration and coordination at the highest political levels to better prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics, as the General Assembly held its first ever high-level meeting on the subject.

Urging dialogue, diplomacy and a just peace among Member States, the United Nations chief called on world leaders today to use tools at their disposal provided for by the Charter of the United Nations to prevent the further escalation of the war in Ukraine, during the Security Council’s high-level open debate on effective multilateralism and the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.

The world should not pretend that Africa’s present day economic and social conditions are not connected with historical injustices, world leaders stressed today as the General Assembly high-level debate continued, with speakers underscoring the need to bridge the gap between developed and developing countries.