As the 78th session of the UN General Assembly gets into its stride today, the organisation once considered an indispensable forum for global diplomacy finds itself having to reassert its leading role.
With more than 140 world leaders expected in New York City for the high-level debate at the General Assembly this week, the fact is the UN now exists at a time when an array of shifting and overlapping alliances reveals how many countries are pursuing new relationships and networks. The 15th summit of the Brics group of nations held in South Africa last month welcomed several important new members, and the G20 gathering in New Delhi shortly afterwards admitted an entire bloc of countries – the 55-member African Union. These developments are further proof that the world is becoming increasingly multipolar, and that countries are exploring new economic and political paths to stability, prosperity and development.
The UN, which is often accused of being overly bureaucratic and bogged down in procedural and political wrangling, must use this week’s high-profile gathering to prove that it can still unite countries, build consensus, help to resolve conflicts and champion issues of global justice. Sadly, this year’s convening is taking place amid levels of global distrust rarely seen in peacetime. We live in fraught times: China and the US are often at loggerheads, Russia is isolated from much of Europe and the West, and many developing countries accuse advanced industrial countries of failing to help them deal with climate change – a phenomenon worsened by the economic activities of the richer nations.
Nevertheless, there are several areas in which the UN can take action to assure its members that it can still be representative and effective. Redoubling efforts to reform the UN Security Council, possibly with expanded permanent membership – as US President Joe Biden suggested earlier this month – could help to resolve some of the stalemates frequently witnessed in this critical body. Too often, geopolitical tensions – such as the crisis in Syria and war in Ukraine – lead to an impasse as members wield their power of veto. A fresh look at these veto powers, as well as the transparency of the council’s deliberations, is important. Although such a process would be a challenging one, and consensus could take years to reach, the body is too important to go unexamined.
Revitalising work on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – 17 objectives to fight climate change, cut poverty and foster economic growth – is also vital, given that many countries are behind on their commitments. Concrete steps on global health care and climate finance would also go some way to making the developing world feel that its concerns are being taken seriously. On the last point, the UNGA also provides an opportunity to fine-tune policy and iron out differences before Cop28, the climate change summit to be held in the UAE later this year.
Other issues will have to be handled carefully. The Ukraine conflict, which has polarised world opinion, still takes up a large amount of diplomatic bandwidth, something that has vexed delegates from Latin America, Africa and Asia who have pressing concerns of their own. And the fact that four out of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council are choosing to skip this year’s General Assembly does not help to allay fears of a UN losing some of its relevance.
The UN can still be a major force for good in the world. Its role in negotiating the Black Sea grain deal is one example of the important role it can play as an arbiter and facilitator, even in the most trying circumstances. But the world is changing rapidly and the UN, if it wants to bring about the changes it says it champions, will have to follow suit.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
Fringe@Four Line-up
October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)
October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)
November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)
November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)
November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)
November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)
November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)
December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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South Korea
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Upcoming games
SUNDAY
Brighton and Hove Albion v Southampton (5.30pm)
Leicester City v Everton (8pm)
MONDAY
Burnley v Newcastle United (midnight)
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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