World leaders gather at the UN this week. Here’s what to watch for

CNN:

United Nations – After thousands of speeches, meetings, and receptions next week at the UNGA summit, the United Nations is prepared to announce World Peace at the end of the global event — err, no.

If only. The truth is, topics at the two-week summit appear more numerous, volatile and hard-to-solve than before any other UN General Assembly: Russia’s war in Ukraine, lethal floods in Libya, multiple coups on the African continent, North versus South economic funding, violent crisis in Haiti, and climate change, to name a few.

Potentially weakening the impact of the event itself is the fact that US President Joe Biden is to be the only leader of the permanent five members of the UN Security Council to attend. French President Emmanuel Macron is staying home ready to greet King Charles and work on deteriorating situations from Niger to Sudan. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak too has decided to skip – a rarity for his country – and Russian President Vladimir Putin now risks arrest when he travels. Chinese leader Xi Jinping never comes. (Some UN old hands say having one out of five is nothing unusual in the history of the UNGA).

Nevertheless, 140 heads of state and government are scheduled to attend. Six vice presidents, four deputy prime ministers and over 30 ministers of state and chiefs of delegations will also stand at the rostrum to deliver remarks for their nations. Even if you’re not a regular UN observer, consider tuning in to UNTV on Tuesday, when Brazil kicks off the speechmaking followed by the US, Ukraine and Cuba, among others.

In a first for the annual summit, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky will be attending in person. Previously, he has appeared on video monitors in the General Assembly Hall. He is also expected to speak with Biden in Washington on Thursday.

Global disputes between the big powers of the UN are likely to hurt any chance of improving relations and making progress on several issues. Swiss Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl noted a rising rivalry between the United States and China in the chamber. And advocacy group Human Rights Watch urged nations not to get distracted by politics but to “keep human rights front and center during the week’s events.”