World leaders gathered at the United Nations headquarters in New York this week to discuss key international issues such as the Middle East conflict. The UN announced on the 22nd that the 79th United Nations General Assembly will be held from the 24th to the 30th as part of the high-level week.
The General Assembly is an annual highlight event where leaders of 193 UN member states, along with prime ministers, ministers, and other country representatives, take turns speaking at the General Assembly podium.
During this high-level week, the focus is expected to be on three major international conflicts: the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas in Gaza, the war between Russia and Ukraine that has been going on for over two years, and the escalating crisis in Sudan in which genocidal intentions are evident.
In particular, tensions have heightened in the Middle East following the recent simultaneous explosion of wireless radios and walkie-talkies in Lebanon on the 17th and 18th, leading to increased clashes between Israel and the Hezbollah armed faction in Lebanon. This conflict in Gaza poses a risk of spreading to other Middle Eastern regions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are scheduled to deliver speeches at the General Assembly on the same day, the 26th. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also participate in the UN General Assembly high-level week, delivering a speech at the General Assembly on the 25th.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend this year’s General Assembly and deliver a speech on the 28th. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not personally attended the UN General Assembly in New York since 2015.
In addition to the General Assembly, various diplomatic events such as the Future Leaders Summit and bilateral meetings between country leaders will also take place during the high-level week.
South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will represent South Korea at the high-level week, participating in the General Assembly speech on the 27th and other related meetings. Minister Chung is expected to emphasize South Korea’s role in the UN and the restoration of multilateralism during his speech.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Chung plans to hold dozens of bilateral and multilateral meetings with foreign ministers and international organization representatives attending the UN General Assembly.
North Korea’s Ambassador to the UN, Kim Sung-joo, is scheduled to deliver a speech on the last day of the General Assembly on the 30th. It is likely that North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon will not attend, diminishing the possibility of high-level inter-Korean diplomacy.