• Likened to diplomatic 'speed dating', UN General Assembly gives the world's top diplomats a chance to meet in person. The assembly has played host to a number of famous moments over the years. AP
    Likened to diplomatic 'speed dating', UN General Assembly gives the world's top diplomats a chance to meet in person. The assembly has played host to a number of famous moments over the years. AP
  • Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi famously addressed the UNGA for more than 90 minutes in 2009. Photo: UN
    Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi famously addressed the UNGA for more than 90 minutes in 2009. Photo: UN
  • Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said in 2006 that he could smell sulphur in the UN chamber after George W Bush spoke, likening the US leader to the 'Devil'. Photo: UN
    Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said in 2006 that he could smell sulphur in the UN chamber after George W Bush spoke, likening the US leader to the 'Devil'. Photo: UN
  • Mr Bush at UNGA in 2005. Photo: UN
    Mr Bush at UNGA in 2005. Photo: UN
  • The UN Headquarters in New York. Residents of the Big Apple brace themselves for two weeks of traffic chaos as UNGA takes place. EPA
    The UN Headquarters in New York. Residents of the Big Apple brace themselves for two weeks of traffic chaos as UNGA takes place. EPA
  • South Korean ambassador to the UN Cho Hyun speaking in the chamber. Reuters
    South Korean ambassador to the UN Cho Hyun speaking in the chamber. Reuters
  • Cuban leader Fidel Castro addressing the General Assembly. Photo: UN
    Cuban leader Fidel Castro addressing the General Assembly. Photo: UN
  • Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005. Photo: UN
    Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005. Photo: UN
  • Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, addresses UNGA. Photo: UN
    Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, addresses UNGA. Photo: UN

World leaders gather for UN General Assembly as international crises escalate


Adla Massoud
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Follow the latest news from UNGA

The 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the largest yearly gathering of world leaders and high-ranking diplomats, is taking place in New York this week amid numerous international crises and as the world body comes under increased scrutiny.

Often referred to simply as UNGA, the event will see presidents, monarchs and prime ministers address the world in front of the UN chamber's famous green marble backdrop, while lower-level officials hustle on the sidelines to make deals and build relationships.

This year's theme is “restoring trust and reigniting global solidarity”, but the credibility and reliability of the UN are currently being undermined by geopolitical conflicts, divisions and paralysis at the Security Council, as economic, humanitarian and climate-related crises continue.

“The gap between the demand for international co-operation and its supply is widening … The UN has fallen short, both because it is no longer fit for purpose and because its member states do not trust one another,” said Stewart Patrick, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

For various reasons, four out of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council are choosing to skip this year’s UNGA, with only the US sending its leader.

President Joe Biden will tackle a range of issues, including mobilising financial resources for the Global South, galvanising co-operation to tackle the climate crisis and strengthening global support for Ukraine, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said.

Amid the widening gap between rich and poor countries, diplomats representing Latin America, Africa and Asia have been increasingly vocal about their frustration regarding the amount of attention given to Ukraine when compared to other global crises.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to appear in person to address the General Assembly on Tuesday and will appear before the Security Council the following day.

Russia’s Foreign Minister is expected to attend the same meeting.

Richard Gowan, who oversees Crisis Group's UN advocacy efforts, told The National that the Ukrainian leader wants to seize this opportunity to discuss Russia's disruption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the threat to global security.

A grain ship during inspections in Istanbul under the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2022. Getty Images
A grain ship during inspections in Istanbul under the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2022. Getty Images

“If he strikes the appropriate tone and demonstrates respect for the concerns of non-western leaders, he may mitigate some of the potential tensions at the UN,” Mr Gowan said.

“The prevailing sentiment in New York is that the time has come, even among countries generally sympathetic to Ukraine, for the pursuit of a diplomatic resolution to the conflict sooner rather than later.”

With more than 140 world leaders expected in New York City, diplomats will also assess progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.

These 17 objectives, set to combat climate change, eradicate poverty and foster economic growth by 2030, currently stand at the halfway mark, yet progress in achieving the goals appears increasingly imperilled.

As per this year's report on the goals, the repercussions of the climate crisis, the conflict in Ukraine, a fragile global economy and the persistent impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic are slowing progress.

The report highlights that only 15 per cent of the SDG targets are currently on course to be achieved within the next decade.

“This largely reflects the indifference of many governments to address those issues. Officials should stop looking at Sustainable Development Goals as optional, but instead see them as vital and obligatory rights,” said Lou Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch.

US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told Security Council members on Thursday that progress on the SDGs requires the active engagement of the private sector.

“The public sector must harness the expertise of the private sector and translate it into action,” she said.

The UAE’s ambassador to the UN Lana Nusseibeh, meanwhile, said public-private partnerships that were once useful additions are now crucial to humanitarian work.

Over the past decade, Ms Nusseibeh said, the UAE has been developing “a digital platform to support a government’s ability to better harness international support in the wake of natural disasters”.

The UAE has also established a major humanitarian logistics hub and is working with UN agencies and private companies on new technologies to reach those in need, Ms Nusseibeh added.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will be hosting preparatory ministerial meetings for the Summit of the Future, which will be held during the opening of UNGA.

According to the UN, the event will “build upon the SDG Summit and breathe new life into the multilateral system so that it can deliver on the promises of the United Nations Charter and the 2030 Agenda”.

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Cofe

Year started: 2018

Based: UAE

Employees: 80-100

Amount raised: $13m

Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group 

MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

Gulf Under 19s final

Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B

All or Nothing

Amazon Prime

Four stars

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures

Tuesday, October 29

Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE

Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman

Wednesday, October 30

Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one

Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two

Thursday, October 31

Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four

Friday, November 1

Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one

Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two

Saturday, November 2

Third-place playoff, 2.10pm

Final, 7.30pm

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

UAE players with central contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Results

United States beat UAE by three wickets

United States beat Scotland by 35 runs

UAE v Scotland – no result

United States beat UAE by 98 runs

Scotland beat United States by four wickets

Fixtures

Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland

Admission is free

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
The%20specs
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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

Champions parade (UAE timings)

7pm Gates open

8pm Deansgate stage showing starts

9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral

9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street

10pm City players on stage

11pm event ends

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017

Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free

Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa

Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia

ENGLAND TEAM

Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

Fanney Khan

Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora

Director: Atul Manjrekar

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand

Rating: 2/5 

'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

Updated: September 19, 2023, 8:23 AM