For the first time in 75 years, world leaders will not travel to New York for the annual UN General Assembly session in September this year. “World leaders cannot come to New York because they cannot come as single individuals. A president doesn’t travel alone. We don’t expect therefore to have presidents here,” said, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the United Nations General Assembly in a statement.
He also said that he hopes to announce in coming weeks how 193 heads of state and government will deliver their speeches on pressing local and world issues during the assembly’s so-called General Debate. His office along with the UN Member States is looking at mechanisms to ensure the General Debate, in a format compatible with the coronavirus restrictions.
Last month, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres suggested in a letter to the General Assembly president that heads of state and government can deliver pre-recorded messages, with only one New York-based diplomat from each of the 193 UN member nations present in the assembly hall.
The meeting of world leaders usually gathers thousands of government officials, diplomats and civil society representatives to New York. Also, the high-level General Assembly session had a particular significance this year as it would have commemorated 75 years of the existence of the United Nations and would have seen high participation from leaders from 193 Member States to celebrate the anniversary.
Muhammad-Bande also added that no one knows how long it would take to achieve normalcy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the celebration of the 75th anniversary is an activity that can be celebrated throughout the year.
