UN brings world leaders together for the first time since the start of the Ukrainian War

The climate emergency was already dominating the last summits of the United Nations. Over the past two years, world leaders have had to address a pandemic that has killed more than 6 million people. Now, without the other two crises having gone away, there is a war in Europe that has further exacerbated global political divisions.

It is in this context that the debates of the 77th UN General Assembly in New York begin, which will bring together most world leaders for the first time since the outbreak of the Ukrainian War in February. The topic should dominate not only the speeches of the authorities, which begin on Tuesday (20) with President Jair Bolsonaro, but also the rounds of negotiations and bilateral meetings.

Of course, there will be no glimpse of a peace agreement during the meeting held in New York, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres himself. “I feel that we are still a long way from peace. I believe that peace is essential, peace in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law, but I would be lying if I said that this could happen soon,” said the Portuguese.

The main objective of the UN in the discussions involving the war is to expand the agreement that allows the trade of grains from Ukraine, also increasing the exports of fertilizers from Russia amid the crisis of food shortages that worsens without distinction of borders.

This week, Vladimir Putin threatened again to bar Ukrainian exports through the Black Sea, the main outlet for Ukrainian production, and Guterres has been directly involved in mediating the conflict, speaking repeatedly with the presidents of both countries.

Putin, by the way, will not go to New York. In his place, he sent Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who, subject to sanctions by the White House, did not know until the last minute if he would be able to travel to the United States. The irony is that it was this same UN that gave Lavrov prestige, since, before becoming the leader of Moscow’s diplomacy, he was ambassador to the entity for ten years and was known for his good relationship with other authorities.

Under the agreement that established the UN headquarters in New York in 1947, the US must guarantee visas to foreign diplomats so that they can access the organization’s building. The White House, however, says it has the prerogative to deny visas for security reasons.

Over the past few weeks, the Kremlin has publicly complained and claimed that Washington was violating its obligations, until the US government decided last Tuesday to allow a Russian delegation to enter the country, but there is no expectation of meetings between officials from the two countries.

This will be the first fully face-to-face edition since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020. That year, world leaders spoke in a completely remote way, without anyone traveling to New York. In 2021, some of them spoke in person, like Bolsonaro, and some sent a video, like Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Remote participation was not planned for this year’s edition. There was, however, an exception so that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, can send a pre-recorded video and show it in the plenary. The exception was approved by the General Assembly with 101 votes in favor and 7 against, including Russia, which tried to block the measure. Brazil abstained, voting in favor of a rejected Belarus amendment so that not only Zelensky but any official from a country at war can participate remotely — which was not accepted.

The 77th General Assembly is still taking place amidst a series of questions regarding the efficiency of the UN itself in avoiding conflicts such as the Ukraine War. Zelensky even said in March, in a speech to the US Congress, that “the wars of the past led our predecessors to create institutions that were supposed to prevent them, but which, unfortunately, do not work.”

To journalists, Secretary-General António Guterres went on the defensive and insisted that the UN is the largest provider of humanitarian aid in the world. “If ever there was a time when the UN is more important than ever, that time is now,” he said. “The UN cannot be constrained by the fact that Security Council members cannot reach an agreement to resolve the worst crisis we face.”

Among the consequences of the war, in addition to rising food prices, energy security should also be on the agenda, amid the shortage of natural gas and the increase in coal burning in Europe. Also in the climate area, the floods in Pakistan should be part of the discussions.

The meeting in New York will also be affected by the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, which takes place the day before the opening of the speeches and which brought authorities to Europe, such as Bolsonaro. American Joe Biden, who would traditionally speak after Brazil, also on Tuesday, postponed his speech to the next day.

The General Assembly will finally be the debut of a series of new leaders who have drawn attention on the international stage. On the left, it is the case of the new president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, already treated as a star at the Summit of the Americas in June. On the right is the first trip outside Asia by the new president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., son of controversial dictator Ferdinand Marcos.