A big week at the UN

A big week at the UN…

Leaders from around the world are in New York for ‘High-level Week’ at the 80th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Our PM Anthony Albanese is there, and he’s got a lot on his agenda. He’s also facing pressure to lock in a meeting with US President Donald Trump and get relations back on track with our key ally... So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll take you through:

• the role of the UN

• what’s happening in High-level Week

• and what Albanese hopes to achieve there…

Prefer to listen or watch?

Listen to Andrew Williams and Larissa Moore cover this topic in this Squiz Shortcut podcast episode, or check it out on YouTube - and hit subscribe while you’re at it.

Listen time: 13 minutes

Squiz the Shortcut

There’s been a big build-up to this UN General Assembly…
It feels like we’ve been pointing ahead to it for weeks in the Squiz Today newsletter and podcast - that’s because there are some world-shaping items on the table, like working on a 2-state solution for Palestine and Israel, and setting new climate targets. The General Assembly began on 8 September, but this week is when a lot of the action happens - it’s known as ‘High-level Week’… 

What’s happening?
The leaders of member states come together and address the assembly in the main hall. There are also several summits, bilateral meetings and talks between leaders on the side.

Is that where Albanese hopes to meet with Trump?
Yep… Team Albanese has been working overtime to tee up a meeting between them. There’s a lot the 2 have to discuss - but nothing’s been formally locked in… Albanese will be at a cocktail party hosted by Trump on Tuesday night local time, so as things stand, he’ll be competing with 100 other leaders for a handshake and a chat.

What else has Albanese got on?
The PM has spoken at a summit for a 2-state solution for Palestine and Israel, where he formally declared our recognition of Palestinian statehood. He’s due to give his main address to the assembly tomorrow night, expected to share our new climate target. He’ll also be hosting a forum with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, showcasing our plan to ban social media for children under 16yo.

So what is the role of the UN, and why is its 80th session significant?
The UN was created in the aftermath of World War II. The world had just experienced a devastating loss of life, infrastructure and money, and leaders at the time wanted to prevent another global conflict on that scale from happening again. So the idea is that the UN acts as an international forum where countries come together, talk things through, and ideally resolve disputes before they escalate into war. 

Is every country in the world a member?
Most countries on the planet have a seat at the table. There are 193 member states and 2 non-member observer states: Vatican City and Palestine. We’ll talk a bit more about Palestine a little later, but the fact that all of those countries come together each year in what’s been described as the world’s ‘town hall’ is important…

Why is that?
Because it gives them an equal chance to have a voice in global affairs and what matters to them… And 80 years is quite a milestone to reach - although the organisation does have its share of critics. There are still wars going on in the world, and although the UN has condemned the actions of some countries, it hasn’t always moved the needle… 

How does the UN work?
At the most visible level, you’ve got the General Assembly, which is what’s happening in New York at the moment. That’s where every member state gets a vote and a voice, and leaders use it as a platform to lay out their positions on global issues. Then there’s the Security Council…

What does it do?
It’s much smaller but more powerful. It’s made up of 15 members, including 5 permanent ones, being the US, UK, France, China and Russia. The permanent members have veto power, which is one of the most controversial parts of the UN system because it means they can block any resolution - that’s a formal decision or statement about an issue from a UN body, like the General Assembly… and it’s led to accusations that the UN is ineffective in responding to major global crises and conflicts.

Got any examples?
Yep… A couple of relevant examples of that veto power in action is how Russia has repeatedly used it to block resolutions condemning its invasion of Ukraine, and how the US has vetoed resolutions critical of Israel over its conduct in the war in Gaza and against Palestinians. 

Beyond politics, what other work does the UN do?
It also runs dozens of specialised humanitarian agencies you might have heard of: UNICEF for children, the WHO for health, UNHCR for refugees, and the World Food Programme are just a few. And with the Trump administration radically cutting US aid funding, reliance on the UN’s humanitarian work throughout the world is rapidly increasing… 

Does it work in conflict resolution?
Yep… The UN has peacekeepers - they’re often called the ‘blue helmets’ because of their distinctive blue gear, and over the decades they’ve been deployed in more than 70 operations… Another big role is setting international agreements and treaties for the planet - think, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, or the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015. 

Back to this year’s General Assembly. What’s the theme?
It’s ‘Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights’. We mentioned there are summits happening. They’re on climate change, gender equality, the ethical dilemmas posed by artificial intelligence, and the one that Albanese spoke at, which is working towards a 2-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

What’s the significance of Australia recognising Palestinian statehood?
If you’d like to read more about it, we’ve done a Squiz Shortcut on what it means and why the Albanese Government has taken that step, joining around 150 other countries. This week, the UK, France and Canada also recognised Palestine’s right to exist as a country, and even though it’s mostly a symbolic move, it’s a major diplomatic shift for Western allies of Israel.

What does that mean for our relationship with Israel and the US?
It’s a landmark moment in Australian foreign policy because we’re going against our traditional friend and ally in the US… As we mentioned, Albanese is trying to get a meeting with Trump, so the timing is awkward, given that Trump has been openly critical of our position on Palestine and sees it as a “reward” for the terror group Hamas. It’s also damaged our relationship with Israel.

Remind me of what’s going on there…
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu - a key ally of Trump’s - called Albanese a “weak leader” when Australia’s intention to recognise Palestinian statehood was first flagged. 

So it’s not looking good for a meeting with Trump…
Nope… Trump and Albanese have been in contact over the phone, but they’ve never met face to face - and Albanese’s been under a lot of pressure to make an in-person meeting happen, particularly given the US is reviewing our AUKUS security agreement with them and the UK. 

When will that be finalised?
A decision is due in the coming weeks… In the meantime, analysts watching the Oz-US relationship say the fact that an invitation to the White House hasn’t happened yet is concerning. They say the assumption had been that, given America’s focus on combating China’s influence, and Australia’s location in the Indo-Pacific, it would be making sure relations with us continued to be friendly. Some have pointed to the PM’s agenda at the UN as a possible indicator of why we’re low on Trump’s list for a meeting in New York. 

Why is that?
Albanese will be presenting our new climate target to reduce emissions by 62 to 70% by 2035. Trump has pulled America out of the Paris Agreement so we’re not aligned on that policy… Next up is the PM’s forum on our social media ban for children under 16yo - a plan that will hold US tech giants responsible for policing their platforms and fine them big money if they don’t - again, that’s not likely to win us points with Trump on either a free-speech or business level. And then there’s our stance on Palestine. 

So what’s next?
Well, with no meeting in the bag, it’s looking like Albanese will again miss out on an opportunity to meet Trump and talk through some pressing issues. But the PM is downplaying things, saying it’s only the media that’s worried. He says there will be other opportunities and he’s flagged the sidelines of next month’s APEC summit in South Korea as a possibility… Meanwhile, he’s got one other thing on his already full plate…

What’s that?
He’ll be rallying support for our bid to host the UN’s Climate Summit COP31 next year, along with the Pacific Islands. We’ve talked about why there’s a lot riding on our bid in a previous Shortcut to Australia’s Climate Showdown, if you’d like to know a bit more about it… But it’s key to our energy transition and worth a lot of investment dollars for us, so it’s something Albanese will be lobbying hard for this week…

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Onto our Recommendations

Reading: This UN paper titled: What to know ahead of the UN summit on the Question of Palestine which will get you across what’s up for discussion this week.

Watching: This short video produced by the UN about its 80th Anniversary and the organisation’s role in the world.

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