Summary Points from the 2014 United Nations 69th General
Debate and Related UN Meetings
The 69th General Debate within the United Nations just ended yesterday, September 30th, 2014. The yearly event is a week long, and brings world leaders together in New York to address the General Assembly, as well as to work on a host of international relations issues. There were a number of points and issues worth mentioning with regards to this years United Nations General Debate, and related committees and summits held during this week-long period. Here are just some of the key points to takeaway from the United Nations 69th General Debate and related meetings.
The Environment: The issue of the environment received attention with regards to the United Nations even before the 69th UN General Debate Session (and the UN Climate Session) began, with roughly 400,000 protesters taking to the streets in New York calling for the United Nations to act with regards to the protection of the environment, and within this addressing climate change issues. We even saw celebrities such as actor Leonardo DiCaprio give a speech at the UN Climate Summit, where he said spoke on climate change, saying: “”As an actor, I pretend for a living. I play fictitious characters often solving fictitious problems. I believe mankind has looked at climate change in that same way.” He went on to say that “My friends, this body — perhaps more than any other gathering in human history — now faces this, but achievable task. You can make history… or be vilified by it.”
The Ebola Virus: A number of states also addressed the issue of the Ebola Virus in Western Africa. For example, United States President Barack Obama, in a meeting on the Ebola Virus, urged the world to act more swiftly with regards to the Ebola Virus, saying that “We need to be honest with ourselves. We’re not moving fast enough. There’s still a significant gap between where we are and where we need to be” (The Guardian, 2014). He went on to say that “…everyone has to do more. Right now everybody has the best intentions, but people are not putting in the resources that are necessary”” (The Guardian, 2014).
Gender Equality: One of the most noted new stories coming out of the United Nations was the speech given by Emma Watson, who is a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations (a video of her speech can be found in the above link) that was entitled HeForShe, and addressed the importance of gender equality, and the need to continue to challenge gender stereotypes and characterizations, but also the importance for both women and men to speak out behalf of feminism and the importance of equal rights for all genders. This was an important speech, as it points out just how critical it is for the world community to get behind the ideas of complete equally for everyone.
Iran’s Nuclear Program: The issue regarding Iran’s nuclear program has been one of the biggest issues in diplomacy and international relations. The P5+1 states (The US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany) have been negotiating with regards to Iran and their nuclear program. Yet despite attempts at coming to an agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear program, “[t]alks between Iran and world powers on its nuclear program me ended on Friday with no breakthrough” (BBC, 2014). And when it was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s turn to speak to the General Assembly, he criticized Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and said that due to the nuclear program, Iran is more of a threat than the Islamic State group is. He also warned Western states to not tricked by what he called Rouhani’s “charm offensive.” However, President Obama took a different position, saying that
“We should be able to achieve a resolution that respects the rights of the Iranian people while giving the world confidence that the Iranian program is peaceful.
But to succeed, conciliatory words will have to be matched by actions that are transparent and verifiable. After all, it’s the Iranian government’s choices that have led to the comprehensive sanctions that are currently in place.
And this not — is not simply an issue between the United States and Iran. The world has seen Iran evade its responsibilities in the past and has an abiding interest in making sure that Iran meets its obligations in the future.
But I want to be clear. We are encouraged that President Rouhani received from the Iranian people a mandate to pursue a more moderate course, and given President Rouhani’s stated commitment to reach an agreement, I am directing John Kerry to pursue this effort with the Iranian government in close cooperation with the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China” (Washington Post, 2014) (click for full transcript to President Obama’s Speech).
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria: One of the other highly discussed issues at the United Nations General Assembly Debate was that of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State (IS). United States President Barack Obama spent much of his address pointing out the importance of the United Nations, and then the need to address the growing threat of Jihadist groups such as the Islamic State. President Obama discussed the need for ensuring that there is stability in Syria, and that he said that the United States would commit an additional 340 million dollars to aiding refugees and others affected by the conflict (Washington Post, 2014). Regarding terror groups, Obama said that “We will dismantle terrorist networks that threaten our people. Wherever possible, we will build the capacity of our partners, respect the sovereignty of nations, and work to address the root causes of terror. But when it’s necessary, defend the United States against terrorist attack, we will take direct action” (Washington Post, 2014). Others such as Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu also discussed IS in his address, addressing the need for the group to be stopped. However, he focused some of his speech on IS comparing it to Hamas, saying that the two organizations are “”branches of the same poisonous tree”” (BBC, 2014).
The Israeli Invasion of Gaza: Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, spoke with regards to the Israeli invasion of Gaza, saying that Israel carried out a “war of genocide” against the Palestinians in Gaza. He specifically said that “In this year, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Israel has chosen to make it a year of a new war of genocide perpetrated against the Palestinian people.” He continued to say that “We will not forget and we will not forgive, and we will not allow war criminals to escape punishment” (Haaretz, 2014). In addition, Abbas also said that the PLO will call for a date in which Israel will have to have moved out of the Palestinian territories as per the 1967 borders (before Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem) (Haaretz, 2014).
The United States responded to Abbas’ speech, saying that it was “offensive” as well as “provocative.” U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki was quoted as saying “President Abbas’ speech today included offensive characterizations that were deeply disappointing and which we reject” (IBTimes, 2014). She went on to say that “[s]uch provocative statements are counterproductive and undermine efforts to create a positive atmosphere and restore trust between the parties.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also responded to Abbas’ earlier speech, saying that it was “Israel [who] was using its missiles to protect its children. Hamas was using its children to protect its missiles” (BBC, 2014). Related to this, he also condemned the Human Rights Council, which will be looking into whether war crimes were committed during Israel’s recent invasion into Gaza. In his speech, Netanyahu called the HRC a “terrorist right’s council,” and also said that the HRC’s actions are “biased,” along with being related to anti-semitism (Sherwell, 2014).
However, there were also individuals who criticized Netanyahu’s speech. For example, as Sherwell (2014) writes, “Hanan Ashrawi, a veteran member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s executive committee, accused Mr Netanyahu of blatantly manipulating facts and misleading the audience with “hate language, slander and argument of obfuscation”. She continued:“Obviously Netanyahu has lost touch with reality, particularly in refusing to acknowledge the fact of the occupation itself or the actions of the Israeli army of occupation in committing massacres and war crimes. “The UN podium would have been the most appropriate place for Netanyahu to announce his acceptance of all relevant UN resolutions and his adherence to international law and universal human rights.””
And there was tension within the Israeli Knesset over the speech, with some blaming Netanyahu for not being fully committed to establishing peace with the Palestinians (Jerusalem Post, 2014).
Other Issues
Again, these were not the only issues to be discussed at the United Nations. For example, some focused on the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine. Others, such as Foreign Minister Osman Saleh of Eritrea called on a reformation of the United Nations, saying that ““The United Nations, the organization that ostensibly represents the entire community of nations and the peoples of the world, remains stuck in the past,” Foreign Minister Osman Saleh said on the final day of the Assembly’s annual high-level meeting. “It remains thoroughly dominated by the few and has marginalized the overwhelming majority. Its institutions and structures are an anachronism in the modern world” (UN, 2014).
