By John J. Metzler, September 20, 2024Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings and potentates are converging in New York for the 79th annual General Assembly of the United Nations. As the 193 member states meet amid the pomp, splendor and promise of a renewed challenge to settle conflicts and solve humanitarian crises, which have stubbornly eluded diplomats over this past year of widening strife, there remain deep political divisions along historic, East/West, and emerging North/South geopolitical fault-lines.
Speaking somberly at the ceremonial ringing of the Peace Bell at the start of the session, Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated, “We come together today to sound the call for peace.
Yet peace is under threat. War is on the march. From the Middle East, to Sudan, Ukraine, and beyond, we see bullets and bombs maim and kill.” He intoned, “the foundations of a peaceful world are fracturing. Geopolitical divisions are widening.”
Indeed, for a decade and especially during the past few years the UN system seems in a political funk, a period overwhelmed by a myriad of exponentially expanding conflicts, humanitarian crises and often unpredictable events. But we are reminded again and again, that while there is a diplomatic deadlock in the decision making Security Council, the UN works just as well as its 193 member states allow it to do.
The primary military crisis confronting the global community remains Gaza, and the very real danger of an expanded regional Israel vs. Hamas, Hizbullah and Iran war. At the same time there’s the pressing humanitarian civilian toll for nearly a year of fighting Gaza after the Hamas October 7th terrorist attacks on Israel which deliberately killed over 1,200 civilians and seized over 250 Israeli hostages, many of them American.
Despite endless discussions and Security Council meetings, there is yet to be a credible ceasefire, a truce and a return of the hostages. Ukraine poses a wider challenge. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 the war has largely been a conflict of attrition with significant military causalities on both sides as well a devastating civilian and material damage. Ceasefire and peace proposals blow in the wind.
But here the real danger comes in escalation; namely the Biden Administration is discussing with the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer giving the Ukrainian military the go ahead to use long-range Anglo/French <em>Storm Shadow</em> missiles to strike deeper into Russia territory.
Beyond the usual bluster, how do they realistically expect Vladimir Putin to react? As Russia’s UN delegate warned, such strikes on Russia would lead to “NATO will be a direct party to hostilities against a nuclear power.” Who’s talking about a ceasefire or peace negotiations?
Equally there’s the residue of past and brewing military confrontations; Syria, Sudan and the SAHEL. The aftermath of Syria’s thirteen-year civil war remains a massive human toll of death, injury and displacement. Forgotten are the fourteen million people displaced and the 5.5 million refugees. Sudan is again tearing itself apart with ethnic conflicts; here the world faces an overlooked but massive humanitarian crisis with 10 million displaced persons and 25 million people in need of food assistance.
Sputtering but persistent violence in Sub-Saharan SAHEL states such as Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger continues where endemic poverty triggers Islamic/ethnic conflict. Refugee outflows across the Sahara trek into a network of people smuggling operations taking migrants into Europe.
Then there’s the provocative Palestine delegation’s resolution demanding that Israel end its “unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian territory” including East Jerusalem within 12 months! The nefarious plan demands Israel withdraw from Judea and Samaria (aka West Bank). This resolution mirrors the earlier International Court of Justice advisory opinion which increasingly isolates embattled Israel. n a slap to Washington’s diplomatic efforts, a lopsided vote saw the non-binding resolution pass 124 in favor to 14 against with 43 abstentions.
Such crises confront the upcoming General Debate. Among the speakers list there are 133 Presidents of Prime Ministers scheduled. Though the U.S. is slated as the second speaker after Brazil as is historic protocol, the question remains what will Joe Biden say? Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky certainly will be there as well as Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Israel’s embattled Benjamin Netanyahu will again address the Assembly. Among the Europeans will be France’s Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni of Italy. Argentina’s maverick President Javier Milei shall address the UN for the first time.
On a more mundane but practical note, New York goes into lockdown and traffic gridlock for parts of Manhattan for what’s dubbed as “UN Week.” It’s one of the annual Rites of Autumn.
John J. Metzler is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of Divided Dynamism the Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China (2014). [See pre-2011 Archives]
