The 72nd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations opened 12 September, with Slovak diplomat Miroslav Lajcak elected president of the session convened under the theme, “Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for all on a Sustainable Planet.” The General Debate, the most important international conference, year in, year out, was supposed to start 19 September and last until 25 September. Heads of states, heads of governments, foreign ministers and other high officials lead their respective delegations in the General Debate, and deliver their remarks before the high representatives of all member states in the United Nations. The General Assembly is the only UN organ where all member states are represented. Two major events are planned in parallel to the General Debate; namely, Global Goals Week 2017, and Climate Week NYC (New York City) 2017. In addition to the various items listed on the agenda of the 72nd Session of the General Assembly there are some important international questions that will be another focus this year. The first is Globalisation and 2030, which was approved in a special summit in September 2016 in the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly. The second relates to “Trade, Gender and Human Development.” This year, all eyes and ears will be centred on a new comer to the United Nations — namely, US President Donald Trump. It will be his first appearance before the world body, and what he will say will be closely watched. He won the US presidential elections in November 2016 riding high on the slogan “America First”. Trump will appear before the General Assembly while the United States is involved in a high-stakes nuclear confrontation with the North Korea of Kim Jong-Un, that has turned Northeast Asia into a major international flashpoint, and while Washington is still studying what to do with Iran in the Middle East and the Gulf. Add to that, the persistent stalemate in peace negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and the government of Israel. President Trump has promised that he would push for the “deal of the century” between the two sides, and it will be interesting to see whether he will have something concrete to say in this respect (or, at least, a few words about his administration's thinking on the possible parameters of a final deal between the Palestinians and the Israelis). The Arab and Muslim delegations attending the General Debate and watching President Trump delivering his remarks will surely recollect the unprecedented summit held in May in the Saudi capital Riyadh, that brought together, for the first time, their respective countries and President Trump. Listening to the American president, they will, undoubtedly, ask what has come out of the Riyadh Summit. The answer is anyone's guess. Maybe something is in the offing, as far as a “regional peace settlement”, is concerned. The decision of Hamas to disband the “administrative committee” that replaced the Palestinian government, announced 17 September, could be viewed in the context of this larger regional plan advocated by the Trump administration. It will be an irony of history if after this summit, Israel would be elected to the Security Council for the first time since its establishment. A country that has shown no respect for UN resolutions on the Palestinian cause, a country that still denies the Palestinians their inalienable rights, foremost their right to self-determination, an occupying power, and one that has no place in the concert of nations, nor has any international legitimacy to sit as a non- permanent member on the Security Council, the UN body entrusted with defending international peace and security. The 72nd Session of the General Assembly convenes as the great and major powers are grasping for political solutions to a host of crises that have been festering for too long. From Ukraine, to Syria, Yemen, Libya and global terrorism that has hit hard in Europe (the UK and Spain in particular), to North Korea and Iran. To complicate matters more, bilateral relations between Washington and Moscow nosedived in a way that does not bode well for their ability to work together in the foreseeable future in search of political solutions to crises that pose a threat to international peace and security. While it is true that the two superpowers succeeded in reaching an agreement, in cooperation with the Jordanian government, to de-escalate in the southwestern part of Syria, and to keep Iranian-backed militias from operating near Israeli borders (40 kilometres), the two have not pushed for the conclusion of the Geneva talks to begin the transition to a democratic and pluralistic Syria, according to Security Council Resolution 2254 of December 2015. It goes without saying, that this year's General Assembly is held after the liberation of the Iraqi city of Mosul from the terrorist Islamic State group. It is a major success, both politically and militarily, for the global coalition against IS, and for the Iraqi government. Also, the military successes of the Syrian army against IS and other terrorist groups, as well as its lifting the siege of Deir Al-Zor, marks a major change from this time last year — not to mention the dislodging of terrorist groups from the border areas in Lebanon. Everyone participating in the General Debate of the 72nd General Assembly would be keen to learn more about the future direction of American foreign policy under President Trump, and the ability of his administration to work and cooperate not only with Russia, but also with other major powers, particularly China, to defuse hotspots in the world. This raises the question of the priorities of the United States, and whether it would be willing to reconcile these with the concerns of other countries. In a press briefing 14 September, the spokeswoman of the US State Department said that Washington currently has five “overarching priorities”. They include taking bold steps on UN reform. Second, broadening multilateral efforts to defeat IS and other terrorist groups. Third, to ensure humanitarian assistance in conflict zones. Fourth, de-escalating the Syrian conflict. And fifth, dealing with North Korea that “poses a threat” to international peace and security. Meanwhile, the new president of the General Assembly promised he would strive to strengthen the UN without placing additional burdens on small states, emphasising his support for achieving progress on UN reform agenda, implementing the Millennium Development Goals, and addressing climate change. The Secretary General of the UN Antonio Guterres underlined the same goals in a report entitled, “Fulfilling the Promise of Globalisation: Advancing Sustainable Development in an Interconnected World,” in which he urged cooperation and the need for a “coherent, integrated multilateral response to globalisation challenges”. The 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly will be a historic one if the great powers, including the United States under the Trump administration, adopt the vision of this report, as well as, the priorities of the new president of the General Assembly. In terms of realpolitik, it is the surest way to defeat terrorism and eradicate its root causes in the medium and the long term.
The writer is former assistant to the foreign minister.
