Ahead of his address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which begins on Tuesday, September 23, US President Donald Trump stated that “Everybody wants to meet me.” The 80th General Assembly will mark Trump’s return to the session, where he is expected to highlight his administration’s emphasis on unilateral American power, even as the US has pulled back from many of its traditional leadership roles within the global body.
Trump on Sunday stated that he is going to meet several leaders on the sidelines of the session at United Nations in New York. Speaking about his diplomatic engagements, Trump said, “I am going to meet a lot of leaders at the UN. Probably 20. Everybody wants to meet me.”
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Trump to address UNGA
While Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has already stated that the world leaders are gathering in “turbulent, even uncharted waters,” it will be interesting to see what Trump says from the podium. “We are facing a global crisis. Conflicts are multiplying in the context in which geopolitical divides do not allow to effectively address them, ”Guterres told UN News in an interview with Global Communications chief, Melissa Fleming.
Trump is scheduled to speak on Tuesday, eight months into his second term, which has been defined by deep cuts to US foreign aid. These reductions have triggered widespread humanitarian crises and raised serious concerns about the future of the UN, pushing Guterres to implement cost-cutting measures and push for greater efficiency.
While in the past, Trump has described UN of having “great potential”, he has also accused the world body of failing to broker peace in various conflicts. Brazil will address first followed by the United States as host country. With focus on global crises ranging from war and climate change to gender inequality and the ethical dilemmas posed by artificial intelligence, the event will mark the beginning of the 80th session of the General Assembly.