The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) today begins its 80th anniversary session in New York.
All 193 member states are expected to attend the gathering, where global peace, UN reform, and climate change are set to dominate discussions.
On global peace, world leaders are expected to deliberate on ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza, as well as the plight of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar (formerly Burma).
In Ukraine, the country remains locked in a deadly war with its larger neighbor, Russia. In Sudan, government forces continue to battle the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a conflict that has displaced more than seven million people.
In Gaza, Israel has been engaged in a nearly two-year-long war with the Palestinian group Hamas, during which almost 200,000 people have been killed or wounded.
These three conflicts rank among the most active and destructive worldwide, and leaders are expected to propose pathways toward resolution.
This year’s UNGA also comes against the backdrop of recent recognition of the State of Palestine by several Western military and economic powers, including Britain, France, Canada, Portugal, Australia, and Belgium.
The move has put them at odds with the United States, which has strongly opposed the recognition, dismissing it as a reward for terrorism.
