United Nations leaders bemoan global turmoil as the General Assembly turns 80

"LONDON Just over 80 years ago, directly after the Second World War, the United Nations General Assembly met for the first time, in a Methodist hall in Blitz-damaged central London. There, representatives from 51 countries convened to talk about the importance of international cooperation. Advocates hoped that the UNGA would be the main forum for world leaders to discuss global issues, and thereby avoid future conflict."

""2025 was a profoundly challenging year for international cooperation and the values of the UN. Aid was slashed. Inequalities widened. Climate chaos accelerated. International law was trampled," said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his speech. Guterres highlighted the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, calling them "vicious and cruel beyond measure." He also raised alarm at the high levels of military spending around the world."

The UN General Assembly marked its 80th anniversary in the same London Methodist hall where it first met after World War II. Delegations noted a deterioration in global cooperation by 2025, with aid cuts, widening inequalities, accelerating climate impacts, and breaches of international law. The Secretary-General cited major wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan and warned about rising military spending. Many U.N. agencies face underfunding as more than half of countries fail to pay agreed contributions, including the United States. Recent U.S. actions include executive orders to withdraw from many international organizations, reducing UN capacity to deliver aid and climate assistance.

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