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Daily Brief 27 Sep 2020

Thank you for being with us. Here’s a quick summary of the fourth day of the debates.

 

Palestine

Weary of repeating his people’s longstanding grievances with Israel, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority asked the United Nations to convene a conference in early 2021 to help solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The request reflected the current shift of power in Israel’s favour over the past year.

“I wondered while preparing this statement what more I could tell you, after all that I have said in previous statements, about the perpetual tragedy and suffering being endured by my people,” Mr. Abbas said. The prerecorded speech was sent from his office in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to the annual gathering.

Mr. Abbas also said that the recent agreements between Israel and both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were in violation of the Arab Peace Initiative, and the terms of reference of a comprehensive, lasting and just solution in accordance with international law. 

“The Palestine Liberation Organization has not given a mandate to anyone to speak or negotiate on behalf of the Palestinian people and the only path to lasting, comprehensive and just peace in our region requires ending the occupation and securing the independence of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he stressed. 

Full statement available here

 

Pakistan

In his speech Imran Khan accused his India counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of having replicated the Nazis’ extremist ideology through his Hindu nationalist agenda and association with the R.S.S., a right-wing Hindu group.

“While the Nazis’ hate was directed at the Jews, the R.S.S. directs it toward the Muslims and to a lesser extent toward the Christians,” Mr. Khan said. He further accused Mr. Modi of having imposed a “military siege” on the disputed Kashmir region, which is populated predominantly by Muslims and is the chronic flash point of India-Pakistan strife.

Prime Minister Khan also underlined the importance of durable peace in Jammu and Kashmir. 

“The Security Council must prevent a disastrous conflict and secure the implementation of its own resolutions as it did in the case of East Timor,” he said, calling on the body to take “appropriate enforcement actions.” 

India’s U.N. ambassador is reported to have requested a right of reply, the General Assembly procedure for member states to respond. 

Full statement available here 

 

The Holy See

On behalf of The Holy See, which is a UN Permanent Observer State, Pope Francis warned world leaders on Friday against a growing breakdown of multilateralism, appealing in a speech to the United Nations for an end to what he called a global "climate of distrust."

Although the Empowerment of Women was a topic of the 75th session of General Assambly, Pope Francis sharply decried abortion.

The Roman Catholic leader denounced the promotion of abortion as a humanitarian response to the pandemic: “it is troubling to see how simple and convenient it has become for some to deny the existence of a human life as a solution’. 

He went on to urge civil authorities to ensure that children are not denied their human rights, and warned of the breakdown of the family which, he said, is reflected in “social fragmentation”. 

Find the full statement here. 

 

The European Union

Also a permanent observer of the general assembly, Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, said that The European Union has been at the forefront of international cooperation to defeat “the same common enemy”, COVID-19.

The President informed the plenary that the EU had raised nearly €16 billion to conduct research and deploy vaccines, tests and treatments and are working to ensure universal accessibility and affordability.

When asked if the EU favoured the United States or China, the President said, “we stand on the side of the fundamental values of democracy, human rights, the rule of law and cooperation”. 

“The EU shares ideals, values and a mutual affection that have been strengthened through the trials of history” with the US, but “this does not prevent us from occasionally having divergent approaches or interests”, he elaborated.

Full statement available here.

 

Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned world leaders on Friday of an impending "climate reckoning" and called on countries to join forces in creating a more equitable international system to confront the 21st century challenges that the existing structures created 70 years ago can no longer address.

"The world is in crisis. And not just because of the last few months," Trudeau said. "Not just because of COVID-19 but because of the last few decades. And because of us.

The Prime Minister also said that the institutions created following the Second World War — the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and other structures that came into existence following the 1944 Bretton Woods agreement — no longer serve us well enough to protect multilateralism and international law.

"That is what the crisis of COVID-19 has shown, beyond a shadow of a doubt. That things have to change," the Canadian prime minister said. "And not just on the world stage but at home, too."

 

Japan

Prime Minister Suga emphasised the importance of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of overall efforts to “build back better” after the pandemic. 

“The ongoing crisis is heavily impacting the education of children and the youth who shape the future. It is also affecting women among others,” he observed.  

To create a more inclusive society, he again outlined three points for action, starting with ensuring the importance of the UN and multilateralism.  

“While I greatly respect the activities and efforts of the UN thus far, I would also like to emphasize that the Organization is in need of neutral and fair governance more than ever,” said Mr. Suga. Thus, Japan stands ready to cooperate in the process for UN reform, including of the Security Council and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

“The WHO is key in our collective response to infectious diseases,” he stated.

“Through its review and reform, I believe the WHO will be able to make even better use of necessary expertise at the right time, in the right manner.”  

Full statement available here

 

Please remember to send us any feedback or comments you may have.

By for now, 

Ariana Yekrangi
Founder and coordinator of UN-aligned

Website

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