At 80, United Nations Must Be More Just, Effective, Leaders Tell General Assembly, Calling for Security Council Reform, Climate Justice and Education for Peace

27 September 2025

Eightieth Session,
12th & 13th Meetings (AM & PM)

Bahamas: Philip Edward Davis, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance

He addressed the “agony of the Middle East”, stressing that both the Palestinian people and Israel have the right to security, sovereignty and peace.  The two-State solution remains the only pathway to justice and stability.

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Grenada: Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Physical Development, Public Utilities, Civil Aviation and Transportation

Amid raging wars, children bear the heaviest burden:  “When a school is reduced to rubble, when a teacher is silenced, when a family is forced to flee in fear, education becomes the first casualty of conflict.”  And when education is taken away, “it is not only opportunity that dies but hope itself”, he said, emphasizing that “a child deprived of learning today becomes an adult deprived of dignity tomorrow; and a society deprived of educated citizens becomes a society deprived of peace.”  Whether that child is in Palestine, Haiti, Sudan or Ukraine, their right to learn is as sacred as the right to life itself, he asserted, urging the Assembly to come to the table in a shared realization that “no child’s classroom should be traded for a battlefield”, and “no young mind should be collateral damage of political disputes”.

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Burkina Faso: Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, Prime Minister

He noted that, for eight decades, Africa has legitimately demanded its rightful place on the Security Council.  “It is high time to deeply reform our Organization,” he said, deploring the blockade against Cuba, the sanctions against Venezuela and the impasse in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister

Reaffirming his country’s commitment to the “objectives of the UN”, he welcomed the outcome the High-Level Meeting on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.  The Lao People’s Democratic Republic “sincerely hopes that the long-overdue question of Palestine […] will be resolved through peaceful means,” he said, calling for greater international support for reconstruction to enable a “return to normalcy”.

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Russian Federation: Sergey V. Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs

The West has repeatedly violated the principle of the non-use of force and threat of force, for instance, in Yugoslavia, Iraq, and today, in Israel’s attacks against Palestinians.  Recently, some Western countries have recognized Palestinian statehood.  “Why did they wait so long?  It seems that they had hoped that soon […] there would be nothing, and no one, left to recognize.”

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Cuba: Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister for Foreign Affairs

“I reiterate the strongest possible solidarity with the Palestinian people,” underscored Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba.  “As we meet”, 2.2 million human beings in Gaza are doomed to starve due to genocide, extermination and ethnic cleansing of the Zionist regime, [whose] impunity is guaranteed by the United States, he said.  If the Security Council is left “impotent” by Washington, D.C., threatening or using its veto, the General Assembly should “at least” unequivocally declare the right of Palestine to be a United Nations member.

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Brunei Darussalam: Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Minister for Foreign Affairs

However, the Security Council is hamstrung by the veto.  “Nowhere is this failure more glaring, more tragic than in Palestine,” he stressed, adding that such inaction undermines “the very foundations of the UN”. He called for urgent reform to the organ — with the possible elimination of the veto altogether.  Humanity made a vow of “never again” 80 years ago, but “the suffering inflicted upon the Palestinian people bears chilling resemblance to the last century’s darkest chapters […] marked by the Holocaust, by ethnic cleansing and by the mass uprooting of entire populations during the Second World War,” he observed.  To ignore it is to be complicit.  “‘Never again’ does not belong to one people alone,” he stressed.

Indeed, the occupying regime’s “relentless pursuit of expansionism through annexation, illegal settlements and the systematic erasure of Palestine echoes the ideologies of the past, such as the ‘Greater Germanic Reich’”, he continued, voicing full support for the New York Declaration and underlining that he is speaking “not out of hatred, but hope for a future where both Palestinians and Israelis live in peace”.  “Better together” is not just a slogan.  It is a responsibility, he said.  “For small States, multilateralism is not an option.  It is our lifeline.  As we confront climate change, pandemics, inequality and conflict, no nation can stand alone,” he concluded.

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Iceland: Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Turning to Gaza, she spoke about crimes against humanity and war crimes in broad daylight:  “What appears before us is systematic ethnic cleansing.  This needs to end.”  When Israeli officials call for annexation or the expulsion of Palestinians, they are not defending Israel’s security.  They are calling for violations of international law, she said, adding that the Russian Federation’s aggression in Ukraine, Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the horrific war in Sudan are the starkest demonstrations of a deeply troubling global trend:  growing disregard for international law and multilateral commitments.  “The opinions of the International Court of Justice have been ignored, and the International Criminal Court has been defied and targeted with punitive measures,” she recalled.

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Egypt: Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, Minister for Foreign Affairs

“The Middle East is at the point of implosion,” warned Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt, pointing to the plight of Palestinian civilians who fall victim to “the most heinous Israeli actions […] “for a sin they did not commit”.  He voiced appreciation of the United States President Trump for his commitment to work with the regional leaders to “end this unjust war against Gaza”.  Cairo has sought a sustainable ceasefire in partnership with Qatar and the United States since the onset of the war, he said, stressing that “the entry of humanitarian aid must be a priority”.

He rejected any scenarios of forcible displacement of the Palestinian people, which “would be a crime of ethnic cleansing”.  Egypt “is not and will not be a gate to liquidate the Palestinian cause”, he emphasized, adding:  “We will never be a partner in a new Nakba.”  Commending the “courageous decisions” to recognize the Palestinian statehood and voicing support to the conference on the two-State solution led by Saudi Arabi and France, he warned that “Israel cannot be secure when others are not secure.  The region cannot see stability without an independent State of Palestine.”  To this end, Egypt, together with Saudi Arabia, developed a joint vision for security and cooperation in the region adopted by the League of Arab States.

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Mauritania: Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Mauritania condemns this genocidal war, he said, stressing that violence cannot bring lasting peace and security.  He commended those countries recognizing the State of Palestine and expressed hope that others will follow suit in upholding the principles of truth and justice until Palestine becomes a full member of the UN.  Mauritania strongly condemns Israel’s recent attack against Qatar, which violated its sovereignty.

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San Marino: Luca Beccari, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Political Affairs, International Economic Cooperation and Digital Transition

Luca Beccari, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Political Affairs, International Economic Cooperation and Digital Transition of San Marino, unequivocally condemned “the horrific terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October [2023]” and called for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages.  “Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people through indiscriminate bombing, starvation and displacement”, he said, and “in this dark hour”, responsibility becomes urgent.  His Government therefore officially recognized the State of Palestine as a sovereign, independent State, within secure and internationally recognized borders.  “Having a State is the right of the Palestinian people”, however “it is not, and can never be, a reward for Hamas”, he said.  San Marino will continue to support Palestine’s admission as a full member of the UN.

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Saudi Arabia: Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, Minister for Foreign Affairs

He then turned to the “unprecedented suffering of the Palestinian people and the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza”, which has been officially classified as famine, stressing this situation runs contrary to the Charter’s principles, international law and international humanitarian law.  The “brutal and unchecked practices carried out by the occupation authorities”, completely disregard the historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people in their land and obliterate their legitimate rights, he said.  The international community’s failure to take decisive measures to stop Israeli aggressions and violations will only contribute to destabilizing the region.

“It is time to find a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, as military escalation will not achieve security and peace,” he said, advocating for the two-State solution.  He called on all countries to recognize the State of Palestine.

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Singapore: Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Singapore hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages and immediate civilian access to humanitarian aid, but it will only recognize the State of Palestine when it has an effective government that accepts Israel’s right to exist and renounces terrorism.

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Oman: Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, Foreign Minister

While the climate crisis is a priority for his country and requires urgent transition to clean energy sources, “there remains another human and political issue deeply painful and enduring that must take precedence in our deliberations and decisions”:  the Palestinian question.  Having persisted too long with its “suffering unbearable” it is time “to end the occupation to undo the injustice and to restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people through the implementation of the two-State solution”, he said.

Describing the recognition of the State of Palestine as “the most crucial step in this critical phase of the history of the Palestinian cause”, he said Oman is committed to working for the region’s peace and security, engaging constructively with all parties.  “Yet, Israel continues to disregard international appeals, refusing to engage in a serious dialogue that will lead to a just and comprehensive solution”.  And because its continued use of force and disregard for reason threaten the international system’s credibility, he continued, “it is our shared responsibility to intensify our efforts and to apply effective pressure to bring Israel to the negotiating table”, as the path to peace cannot be forged through dictation and imposing a fait accompli, but through mutual understanding and respect for international law and people’s rights.

He implored the international community to implement restrictive measures on Israel’s ability to continue its genocidal and illegal occupation policies, as well as a “global peaceful campaign” towards lifting the blockade imposed on the Palestinian people.  Further, he condemned Israeli aggression on Qatar, Iran, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon and called for sanctions on that country for violating States’ sovereignty.

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Malaysia: Mohamad Hasan, Minister for Foreign Relations

Mohamad Hasan, Minister for Foreign Relations of Malaysia, asked whether, on its eightieth anniversary, the United Nations should congratulate itself for its inability to end the occupation of Palestine or to allow a rogue State to undermine its Charter.  “Israel can no longer hide behind its pretence of victimhood,” he said, stating that that country is committing genocide in Gaza.  He called for concrete action against the occupying force, long-term support for a self-governing Palestinian State and a reformed UN to ensure that such a travesty of justice never happens again.  Also, repeated failures by the Security Council to fulfil the will of the General Assembly must be strongly resisted.  Member States must demand accountability from the Council’s permanent members and they must question and challenge the use of the veto, he said.

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Tunisia: Mohamed Ali Nafti, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians

Mohamed Ali Nafti, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians abroad of Tunisia, voiced disappointment that the Security Council remains unable to end to the terrible humanitarian tragedy and the genocidal war and starvation against the Palestinian people.  Deploring the announcement by the “brutal occupying entity” that it intends to reoccupy the Gaza Strip and to force the Palestinian people to abandon their land, he asserted Palestine’s right to independence and full sovereignty and self-determination.  Welcoming the “wave” of “150 States recognizing the State of Palestine”, he voiced hope that this will support its full membership in the UN.

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United Arab Emirates: Lana Nusseibeh, Minister for State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Lana Nusseibeh, Minister for State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of United Arab Emirates, emphasized that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict “is not only a result of, but serves extremists and warmongers efforts”.  Nothing can justify targeting tens of thousands of civilians, or “besieging, starving and forcibly displacing hundreds of thousands; nor can anything excuse the pursuit of unacceptable expansionist ambitions, including the threat of annexing the West Bank”, she stressed.  Similarly, there is no justification for the taking of hostages or the targeting of civilians in conflict.  Noting Israel’s treacherous and reprehensible attack against Qatar was a flagrant violation of its territorial integrity, and the security of the Arabian Gulf region, she recalled that her Government remains the largest donor of aid to Gaza.

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