Extract from ABC News
Anthony Albanese has delivered Australia's national statement at the the United Nations.
The world's most powerful people have converged in New York this week for the UN's annual gathering of leaders.
Here are some key takeaways from the second day of the summit.
Surprise from Albanese among standard talking points
Compared to Donald Trump's "your countries are going to hell" speech on Tuesday, Anthony Albanese's address was pretty unremarkable.
In his first-ever UN speech, the prime minister spoke about Australia's emissions goals (but didn't go near Trump's assertion that climate change is a "con job").
He restated Australia's position on Ukraine and Gaza (but didn't mention Israel, nor the UN inquiry's recent genocide finding against it).
And he said Australia would invest in its capabilities and relationships to help secure the Indo-Pacific (but only used the word "China" when referencing the South China Sea).
The speech was Anthony Albanese's first at the UN. (Reuters: Eduardo Munoz)
Buried among the relatively safe talking points was the news that Australia would seek a spot on the UN Security Council for 2029 and 2030.
The bid for the two-year term was actually announced by Julie Bishop back in 2015, but has barely been mentioned since the Coalition government Ms Bishop was part of lost power.
In his speech, Mr Albanese said:
"The United Nations is much more than an arena for the great powers to veto each other's ambitions.
"This is a platform for middle powers and small nations to voice — and achieve — our aspirations.
"That is why Australia is seeking a place on the UN Security Council in 2029-30."
Australia was last on the UN Security Council in 2013-14.
UN member states will vote on the fresh bid in June 2028.
China's pledge to become a climate leader
Chinese President Xi Jinping did not travel to the US for the general assembly debate. But he gave a speech via video link that included a notable announcement.
Speaking to the UN Climate Summit, Xi said his country was pledging, for the first time, to not only stop increasing emissions, but to actually cut them.
China's President Xi Jinping attended the UN Climate Summit by video call. (Reuters: United Nations)
China's goal is to reduce emissions by 7 to 10 per cent by 2035.
It's a major development, given that China is currently the largest carbon polluter.
And it sets the world's two superpowers on completely diverging paths on energy, as the US under Mr Trump pushes for a revival of fossil fuel-based energy.
Zelenskyy warns Russia is more dangerous
The Ukrainian president pointed to two rapidly developing technologies — artificial intelligence and drone weaponry — in sounding a warning over Russia's rogue intentions.
"We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, and argued the world needed to find ways to stop Russia winning that race.
"Stopping Putin now is cheaper than trying to protect every port and every ship from terrorists with sea drones," he said.
"Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead."
Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns the UN of a "deeper and wider" expansion of war if Russia is not stopped.
Russia has repeatedly violated NATO airspace in recent weeks — including over Estonia, Poland, Romania, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania, NATO says.
Mr Zelenskyy also warned of Russian political interference in former soviet states, including Moldova, which has accused Russia of spending hundreds of millions of euros trying to influence an election this weekend.
"Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it," Mr Zelenskyy said.
"And no-one can feel safe right now."
Syria's return to UN after almost six decades
A Syrian leader has not addressed the United Nations since 1967, and when its still reasonably new president stood up in the general assembly today, it seemed a particularly extraordinary turnabout.
Ahmed al-Sharaa is a former member of Al-Qaeda.
He was once jailed by US forces in Iraq, and he is, technically, still designated as a terrorist by the US.
But Donald Trump met with him in May, called him an "attractive guy" and said he had a "real shot" of holding Syria together after the downfall of the Assad regime.
A Syrian news agency published photos of them meeting again on the sidelines of the summit.
Until December, the US was offering $US10 million for the capture of Ahmed al-Sharaa, who represented Syria at the UN. (Reuters: Jeenah Moon)
In his speech, Mr al-Sharaa said he wanted the world to stop associating Syria with conflict, chemical weapons, refugees, and the illegal drug trade.
"Syria has transformed from an exporter of crisis to an opportunity for peace for Syria and the region," Mr al-Sharaa told the general assembly.
He called for the "complete lifting of sanctions, so that they no longer shackle the Syrian people".
Australia's social media ban taken to the world
Mr Albanese brought several of his ministers along to help him promote Australia's ideas and positions in New York.
But it was NSW mother Emma Mason who earned a standing ovation from world leaders when she spoke at an event on the summit's sidelines.
The Bathurst lawyer lost her 15-year-old daughter, Tilly, to suicide after she was relentlessly bullied online.
She told her story at an event hosted by Australia to promote the nation's incoming social media age limit to other foreign leaders and delegates.
Emma Mason speaks at an event to promote Australia's social media regulation.
"I ask you to hold my Tilly and all the lost children in your hearts and do what you can to change the narrative across our world, for Tilly's sake,"Mason said.
Leaders from Greece, Malta, Fiji, and Tonga were amongst those in the room.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the audience she was "inspired" by Australia's "bold" move.
She said many European countries were pushing for similar laws.
"It is obvious this is plain common sense," she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment