Marking the eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War, speakers in the General Assembly today paid solemn tribute to the millions who gave their lives in defense of “freedoms too often taken for granted” and underscored the urgent need to recommit to multilateralism, as conflicts continue to rage from the Middle East to Ukraine.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the General Assembly event in commemoration of His Holiness Pope Francis, in New York today:
Four and half months after the fall of the Assad regime, the recently appointed head of the entity investigating violent crimes committed in Syria since the start of its civil war highlighted new hope that justice will be served.
With the adoption of two draft resolutions today, the General Assembly moved to foster sustainable forest management around the world by proclaiming 2027–2036 as the United Nations Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation and bolstered cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe.
The General Assembly today decided to hold the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Awaza, Turkmenistan, from 5 to 8 August, as the 193-member organ adopted several drafts, including those recommended by its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).
The General Assembly today adopted resolutions on a range of topics, from the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict to a high-level conference on Rohingyas in Myanmar, while also holding a special event to pay tribute to the 15 million men, women and children from Africa who were trafficked into slavery.
The poison of racism remains in the veins of global institutions, laws and everyday practices and must be fought in all its forms, speakers urged the General Assembly today, as the body commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in addition to taking action on three draft texts.
The General Assembly today addressed what many delegations decried as “misuse” of the Security Council veto by the Russian Federation on 24 February — the third anniversary of its aggression against Ukraine.
The General Assembly, over the course of two meetings today, adopted seven resolutions — some drawing more contention than others — and heard an address by the President of Poland.
Three years after the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the General Assembly today adopted two resolutions reaffirming Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the United Nations Charter. While Member States broadly agreed on the urgent need to end the war, they differed on the best path to achieving peace.
