What issues will Emmanuel Macron address in his speech to the United Nations? And with what tone? All eyes are on New York, where the 77th United Nations (UN) General Assembly, the largest annual diplomatic event, opens on Tuesday 20 September. More than 150 heads of state from around the world will speak in a context of high global tension marked by the war in Ukraine.
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This is the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic that the UN General Assembly has met in person. It must last until Saturday September 24th. Emmanuel Macron, he is on site for 48 hours of diplomatic exchange. It began on Monday evening with a dinner with Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. The President of the Republic will address the podium on Tuesday September 20 at around 8pm French time.
In this unprecedented international context, the challenges are numerous. Climate challenge first as summer has been marked by drought, fires and storms globally and Pakistan faces catastrophic flooding. The challenge for Emmanuel Macron is to prepare for the COP27, which will take place in Egypt in November. “We have recognized leadership, host country of the Paris Agreements, we created the One Planet Summit,” boasts the Elysée, which advocates a global climate agenda.
In 2021, Emmanuel Macron had not attended this United Nations General Assembly amid the Australian submarine crisis. This time the program is very busy: food security, Iran nuclear deal, global fund to fight AIDS. And of course at the heart of the debates: the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow. France is calling for increased support for Ukraine to put pressure on Russia, but broad international cooperation is particularly difficult given that this war is being waged by a permanent member state of the United Nations Security Council.
The war in Ukraine has revealed a new balance of power. Clearly there is the idea of Western opposition to the rest of the world. On the one hand, the westerners and their allies, with the United States in the forefront. On the other hand, Russia and China. Emmanuel Macron wants dialogue with countries that have opted for neutrality and only see the war in Ukraine as a regional conflict, such as countries in Asia such as India and Africa such as South Africa.
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“It’s not about asking them to choose their camp, it’s about making sure that the war doesn’t cost the most vulnerable countries,” specifies the Elysée. Limit the diplomatic, food and energy consequences while China’s Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, are the two main absentees from this diplomatic meeting. Such a heavy atmosphere. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, will speak remotely via video on Wednesday.