5 things to watch — UN General Assembly

The views expressed are his own.

In his address to world leaders in New York on September 28, Ban for the first time called for the situation in Syria to be referred to the global Criminal Court.

“Our mission is possible”, he added, “And our destination is in our sights: an end to extreme poverty by 2030; a life of peace and dignity for all”.

“The United Nations, established seventy years ago after the overcoming the calamities of war, was a beacon of hope for all people around the world“.

“We must close the gap between the world as it is and the world as it should be,” he said.

So what will they talk about – and will they agree on anything? It is crucial that we maintain the momentum and imperative that we take action immediately.

With world leaders slated to adopt a climate change agreement in December in Paris, the effects of climate change and commitments by the countries to cut emissions is expected to be the focus of several leaders. Mr. Secretary General, you have helped to mobilize the world around a host of urgent challenges – humanitarian disasters, our new Sustainable Development Goals, and climate change.

Under the JCPOA, limits will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic and financial bans against the Islamic Republic.

But, as everyone knows, the Sustainable Development Goals and their motto of “leaving no one behind” will be realized only in a world of peace, security and respect for human rights.

President Dilma Rousseff spoke to a packed chamber Monday at the annual United Nations General Assembly of world leaders.

For this year’s debate, around 150 world leaders will fly down to discuss issues like sustainable development, climate change, refugee crisis, terrorism and tackling ISIS. Tensions between major powers have grown, as have investments in all kinds of armaments.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the General Assembly on Thursday, a day after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The war in Syria and Iraq was also at the center of the speech. We also need to rebuild confidence and trust so that negotiations on disarmament can begin to progress once again. Warning against those who advocate authoritarianism and a return to the era of “might makes right” in the face of global disorder, United States President Barack Obama today gave a ringing endorsement of the lasting universality of the United Nations principles of freedom, prosperity and equality for all. And I think the Secretary General designs it that way to keep me brief. In the 21st century, he said, “we must not be building fences or walls”.