World leaders are set to address the international community at the United Nations General Assembly, which kicks off in New York tomorrow (Sep 20). On the agenda: The war in Ukraine, the global food shortage and the climate crisis. The UN has called on heads of state to look for common ground in an increasingly divided world. UN chief Antonio Guterres has said the UNGA is an opportunity to turn the tide and collectively address the world’s biggest crises head-on.
Sarah Cliffe, CIC Executive Director, speaks to Channel News Asia on her outlook on this year’s UN General Assembly amid the war in Ukraine, global food insecurity, and the climate crisis.
“The United States will be very keen to use the UNGA to maintain unity around the invasion of Ukraine and the condemnation of that invasion, but I also believe that the United States has understood–and I would expect to see this in the president’s remarks–that in order to do that, you need to focus on issues like food prices, like energy, like debt which are of concern to other countries.