The United Nations on Monday celebrated its 75th anniversary with the motto “Multilateralism is not an option, but a necessity”, as the coronavirus epidemic underscores the fragility of international cooperation.
The anniversary begins at the annual UN General Assembly of the global organization, when leaders and delegates from around 200 countries usually gather to raise their voices on world problems and provide a myriad of solutions.
Instead, Covid-19 still limits global mobility, with only one delegate from each of the 193 UN members allowed, and only one in the United States.
Everyone must attend, including at least 160 heads of state, via video conference.
Here are the latest updates:
15:00 GMT – Trump will address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday
United States President Donald Trump did not address the UN’s 75th anniversary program on Monday with a pre-recorded video speech as expected.
Trump was listed as the first speaker among member states on the UN agenda for the event. Instead, the U.N. Acting Deputy Representative in, Cherith Norman Chalet, spoke in the General Assembly Hall.
“For the Trump administration, this anniversary is an important moment to mark many of the United Nations’ successes, but with a clear eye and a new determination to see this important institution fulfill its intended purpose.”
Al Jazeera’s diplomatic correspondent James Bess said Trump’s lack of an address “raised eyebrows”.
“People are asking if this deliberate focus was an indication of how important the UN is to its important list,” he said, speaking outside UN headquarters in New York.
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14:00 GMT – UN chief calls for international cooperation
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for more international cooperation in tackling global challenges at an event marking the organization’s 75th anniversary.
“Today we have a surplus of multilateral challenges and a lack of multilateral solutions,” Guterres said.
“Climate disaster is looting; biodiversity is declining; poverty is rising again; hatred is spreading; geopolitical tensions are rising … and the Kovid-1p epidemic has created the world’s vulnerabilities. We just addressed them together. We can. “
Source:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
.
