World leaders convene amid conflicts and AI risks as UN faces strain
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Compiled by KHAO Editorial
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The ability of the United Nations (UN) to respond to overlapping global crises will come under close scrutiny when nearly 130 heads of state gather in New York this week.
Key facts
The General Assembly opens with the post-Second World War order under strain from widening conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, while the rapid development of artificial intelligence presents another challenge for international
The United States paid US$725 million into the UN’s regular budget this week, allowing it to retain its General Assembly vote, but it still owes more than US$1 billion.
China supplies 99.3% of Thailand’s surging solar panel imports
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the gathering, having last addressed it by video in 2021.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will complete his term at the end of 2026, but no clear frontrunner has emerged to replace him.
The UN established an advisory body on the technology in 2023, bringing together technology executives, government officials and academics.
Summary
The General Assembly opens with the post-Second World War order under strain from widening conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, while the rapid development of artificial intelligence presents another challenge for international cooperation.
Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group described the UN as caught in a prolonged crisis. More than a year into Donald Trump’s second presidential term, he said, “we would no longer say that the UN is in freefall, but we would say that it's stuck in an open-ended crisis.”