Themed “Better Together: 80 Years and Beyond for Peace, Development and Human Rights,” the session drew nearly 150 heads of state, government leaders and senior representatives of U.N. member states, as well as leaders of international and regional organizations.
Presenting his report on the global situation and the U.N.’s work, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world is moving towards multipolarity and stressed the need for an effective multilateral system to avoid repeating the mistakes that led to the First World War.
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State President Luong Cuong and the Vietnamese delegation attend the High-level Meeting marking the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. |
Guterres emphasized that the U.N. remains a moral compass, a force for peace, defender of international law, promoter of sustainable development, protector of human rights, and a body that turns global commitments into concrete actions.
He highlighted five key choices for the international community today. First, peace must be grounded in international law. Second, human rights and dignity must be safeguarded by implementing international commitments, including mobilizing resources and reforming the international financial system to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Third, climate justice and action must be accelerated through a just and sustainable energy transition, with resources mobilized for green finance via financial mechanisms and policies. Fourth, advanced technologies and artificial intelligence should be harnessed for global and human development. Fifth, a more inclusive, transparent and 21st-century-ready U.N. is needed, including through the UN80 Initiative and revisions to the 2026 budget to enhance accountability, improve delivery and cut costs.
UNGA 80 President Annalena Baerbock commended the U.N.’s achievements over the past 80 years in supporting the international community. Reaffirming the U.N.’s central role in the multilateral system, she stressed that the strength of the U.N. Charter depends on members’ compliance. Highlighting gender equality, Baerbock also called for the appointment of the first female U.N. Secretary-General.
Speaking immediately after the opening session, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged the international community to reset its priorities, including reducing military spending while boosting financial resources for sustainable development.
For his part, U.S. President Donald Trump described the U.N. as an organization with great potential but also significant shortcomings. He said the U.S. has achieved important domestic and foreign policy results, including helping to end seven conflicts worldwide, securing tariff-related agreements with several countries, including Vietnam, and stressed the urgent need to end the conflict in Gaza.
Meanwhile, many other world leaders underlined that the international community faces unprecedented challenges, voiced strong support for the U.N.’s central role in the multilateral system, and called for respect for international law. They also urged U.N. reform to deal with these challenges, stronger international cooperation, greater financial mobilization, particularly green finance, and joint efforts to advance scientific and technological progress.
Source: VNA