The week of speeches and meetings in New York, which captured the world’s attention, concluded on September 29 during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. This event, led by Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, took place under the theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development, and Human Rights,” commemorating the organization’s 80th anniversary.
A total of 12,296 participants gathered, including leaders and diplomats from around the globe. 194 speakers represented 189 member states, as well as the Secretary-General, António Guterres, and permanent observers like Palestine and the European Union. However, four countries—Afghanistan, El Salvador, Myanmar, and Seychelles—were absent for various reasons, including representation disputes and scheduling conflicts with elections.
Brazil, represented by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, had the honor of being the first country to deliver its speech, a tradition dating back to 1955. Timor-Leste, on the other hand, concluded the speeches with its Foreign Minister.
Regarding gender representation, modest progress was noted: 168 men and 24 women spoke, including eight heads of state. Some of them expressed their support for a woman to occupy the position of Secretary-General in the future.
The general debate of the session included memorable speeches, highlighted by the longest, delivered by U.S. President Donald Trump, who spoke for over 57 minutes, critiquing the UN while emphasizing successes in various policies. In contrast, the shortest speech came from Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, lasting only 6 minutes and 44 seconds.
Additionally, the Secretary-General held 148 bilateral meetings and delivered 20 speeches addressing topics ranging from the UN’s anniversary to urgent issues such as climate change and artificial intelligence.
Over 3,300 media outlets from approximately 150 countries covered the events at UN headquarters, underscoring global interest in the issues discussed during this significant week of meetings and dialogues.
via: MiMub in Spanish
