fajar-ramadhan
The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly concluded on Monday in New York, capping a week of speeches in which artificial intelligence, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the US-Israel war on Iran dominated the agenda. The annual gathering of world leaders once again became a stage for competing visions of global order, with calls for institutional reform and adherence to international law clashing against the unilateral foreign policy pursued by United States President Donald Trump.
In his final address before his term ends, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres framed the current moment as a crossroads defined by four interconnected tests: artificial intelligence, climate change, war, and inequality. He argued that beneath each of these challenges lies a common thread — the question of power, whether over force, money, energy, technology, or the rules that govern international conduct. According to Guterres, this concentration of power is precisely why the UN Charter and the organization's work remain more relevant than ever, even as the body faces mounting pressure from unilateral actions by major powers.
The question of Palestine emerged as one of the most emotionally charged issues of the debate, reflecting the continued fallout from Israel's war on Gaza and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank. Despite a so-called ceasefire, conditions on the ground remain dire, and several heads of state used their podium time to push for Palestinian sovereignty. French President Emmanuel Macron delivered one of the sharpest rebukes, questioning the credibility of the international community if it remains passive in the face of Gaza's devastation. He dismissed claims of peace that have not translated into reopened humanitarian corridors, asking whether the world can simply stand by and watch a spectacle that shames everyone.
Macron was joined by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in chairing a high-level meeting on Palestinian statehood — a project that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government continues to actively undermine through accelerated settlement construction and impunity for settler violence.
On the sidelines of the assembly, the US-led Board of Peace unveiled a 66-project reconstruction blueprint for Gaza with proposed funding of $2.4 billion. However, the plan notably excludes UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, stating it has no role in Gaza's future. Palestinian political analyst and playwright Ahmed Najar told Al Jazeera that this decision aligns with Israeli efforts to marginalize and ultimately dismantle the agency, removing it not only from Gaza's present but from its future. The move raises concerns about the already fragile humanitarian situation, as UNRWA remains one of the largest providers of essential services to Palestinian refugees.
Netanyahu's own address drew a visible protest, with dozens of delegates walking out of the hall as he declared that Israeli forces would continue fighting against Hamas and Iran. The walkout underscored the deep divisions within the international community over Israel's military campaign and its broader regional strategy.
Trump used his address to present himself as a peacemaker, contrasting his record with those who merely speak of peace. He defended the January abduction of then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, claiming that since the military operation, hundreds of political prisoners had been freed in Venezuela and that Caracas had signed the largest oil deal in history last month, covering 65 billion barrels. Trump framed the deal as mutually beneficial, saying it would drive down global energy costs, and invoked the phrase "to the victor belong the spoils."
On Iran, Trump reiterated his refusal to allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons, boasting that the 12-day war in July 2025 had obliterated Iran's nuclear program beneath mountains of rubble and that the ongoing US-Israel campaign had sunk 159 Iranian naval vessels. He presented a stark choice: either a deal that allows Iran to rebuild, or the annihilation of the Islamic Republic. He indicated a decision would come after the elections, leaving the region in a state of uneasy anticipation.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, found themselves in high demand during sideline talks. President Masoud Pezeshkian used his speech to insist that Iran had only defended itself against attacks that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scientists, and children. He rejected the characterization of Iran as a terrorist state, describing his people as victims of cowardly aggression, and affirmed that Tehran would not surrender its right to peaceful nuclear technology — a right he argued should not be monopolized by a few countries.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held meetings with counterparts from India, Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan, Ukraine, and others, and also sat down with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in a four-hour session mediated by Qatar. The breadth of these engagements suggests that despite the rhetoric, diplomatic channels remain active.
Artificial intelligence also featured prominently, as world leaders grappled with the technology's rapid advancement and its implications for security, economics, and human identity. Finnish President Alexander Stubb called AI the most consequential technology in human history, warning that it would impact science, politics, and the very essence of humanity. He argued that humans must remain in the driver's seat and offered three paths: competition, cooperation, or slowdown. For Stubb, cooperation is the best way forward.
While discussions have moved beyond a simple good-versus-bad framing, officials remain divided on regulatory approaches. Guterres and the European Union pushed for safety-focused frameworks, but consensus on global AI governance remains elusive.
As the 81st session drew to a close, the overarching theme was one of fragmentation and urgency. From Gaza to Tehran to the algorithmic frontiers of AI, leaders acknowledged that the decisions made now will shape the coming decades. Guterres's warning about power — who wields it and how — resonated through the halls, leaving delegates with the difficult task of translating rhetoric into action.
Comments (0)