World Leaders Meet in Newyork for the 70th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 70)

The 70^th regular session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 70) kick-started at the United Nations Headquarters on 15^th September 2015 in New York. This was followed by the address by His Holiness Pope Francis on the 25^th September 2015. The summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda took place from the 25^th to the 27^th September 2015 and the general debate  followed from the 28^th to the 6^th October 2015.

The high-level debate took place under the theme, "Maintenance of international peace and security". It aimed to draw lessons from the UN's 70 years of operation, take stock of challenges related to peace and security, and renew Member States' commitment to the UN Charter. The event included opening addresses by the President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and a representative of civil society, and statements by Member States and heads of regional organizations. 

Among the speakers at the UNGA 70 was the US President Barack Obama, President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his speech, the US President said the US is prepared to work with nations, including Russia and Iran to end the conflicts in Syria. He also called on oppressive regimes to switch to democracy. President Obama's speech touched broadly on the United Nations helping nations work together in a time of threats from terrorism and economic contagion. “If we cannot work together more effectively, we will all suffer the consequences," he said.

When Russian President Putin addressed the General Assembly, he spoke about a "great and tragic migration of people" that requires members of the U.N. to unite to stabilise Syria. He said cooperation with the Syrian government and its armed forces who are valiantly fighting terrorism face-to-face was the way to go.

As in the past, the official agenda was overshadowed by global issues like advancements made by the self-declared Islamic State, the global migration crisis, the conflict in Ukraine, the Syrian civil war, and the Iran nuclear deal.

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the only universally representative body of the five principal organs of the United Nations. The other major bodies are the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice. As delineated in the Charter of the United Nations, the function of the General Assembly is to discuss, debate, and make recommendations on a range of subjects pertaining to international peace and security including development, disarmament, human rights, international law, and peaceful arbitration between disputing nations.

 Botswana was represented by His Honour the Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi.

United Nations Headquarters in New York
Photo from UN website