World leaders to meet in New York for 79th UN General Assembly

By Serife Cetin

The 79th UN General Assembly, deemed one of the largest global diplomatic events, will kick off Tuesday in New York.

The General Assembly is held annually at UN headquarters in New York, bringing together the heads of state and government of member states. It is to take place from Sept. 24-30.

The 79th session will be opened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and will be chaired by Cameroonian President Philemon Yong.

At least 133 heads of state and government, three vice presidents, 80 deputy prime ministers and 45 ministers are expected to attend.

In a tradition that has been maintained since 1955, Brazil will give the first speech after the presidents. After Brazil, the host country, the US, will take the floor.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will represent Türkiye and deliver his speech in the third row on the first day, following the US.

Erdogan, who will address the General Assembly for the 14th time, is expected to draw attention to the situation in the Gaza Strip.

He is also expected to urge member states to stand against Israel's attacks.

- Crises from Gaza to Haiti

UN leaders are meeting at a time when the number of crises, conflicts and wars is increasing.

Thus, the number of crises from Gaza to Ukraine, and from Sudan to Haiti, are expected to be on the agenda.

It is expected that leaders will focus on Gaza, which the UN has previously described as "hell on earth."

In Gaza, along with emphasizing a cease-fire, member states are expected to highlight Israel’s violations of international law and UN resolutions, as well as the difficulties in delivering humanitarian aid to the region.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to speak the morning of Sept. 26, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled for the afternoon.

This year, the main theme of the UN General Assembly discussions is "Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations."

"Today's global order simply does not work for everyone. In fact, I would go further and say: it's not working for anyone," said Guterres.

Therefore, it is expected that leaders will address the reform of the Security Council and the international financial architecture.

In addition to the high-level week, the "Summit of the Future" is to be held from Sept. 22-23, before the General Assembly. It will focus on adapting current international institutions to present-day challenges, while a high-level meeting on rising sea levels will discuss the fight against climate change.

Leaders are also expected to hold consultations on various issues such as sustainable development goals, antimicrobial resistance and nuclear disarmament.

- Castro spoke for 296 minutes, Gaddafi for 100 minutes

General Assembly meetings have been held since 1946 since its establishment with 51 members.

Leaders are expected to limit speeches to 15 minutes and touch on the main theme.

Many leaders' disregard for time limits, however, has led to memorable moments.

One was Cuban President Fidel Castro’s 296-minute speech in 1960, followed by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s 100-minute address in 2009, where he tore up a page from the UN Charter.

Another notable moment from the General Assembly’s history is when former Soviet Union President Nikita Khrushchev banged the table with his fist and hit it with his shoe after becoming furious during a speech by the Philippines in 1960.

Former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s 2006 speech is also frequently referenced, where he called former US President George W. Bush, who had spoken a day earlier, "the devil."

In 2018, then-New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended the General Assembly with her 3-month-old baby, a moment that remains memorable.

Similarly, former US President Donald Trump's statement in 2017 that he would "destroy North Korea," if necessary, also stands out.

The General Assembly often sees delegations walking out of speeches that they "disapprove.”

*Writing by Merve Aydogan​​​​​​​