United States (US) President Joe Biden on Wednesday addressed the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. He spoke about a host of issues facing the world—the seven-month-long Russia-Ukraine war, the need to reform the UN, climate change, global health, food and energy insecurity, economic growth, and global peace and stability. Here is a summary of his major talking points:
Russia-Ukraine War
President Biden commenced his address by condemning the Kremlin’s seven-month-long “special military operation” in Ukraine, bluntly calling it a “brutal, needless war chosen by one man.” He denounced Russia’s “shameless violation” of the UN Charter, its “attempt to erase a sovereign state from the map,” and its “reckless disregard” for the nuclear non-proliferation principle.
Referring to the mass graves recently uncovered in Izium, Biden lambasted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the war crimes inflicted upon the people of Ukraine. He alleged that the war is about “extinguishing Ukraine’s right to exist as a state, plain and simple, and Ukraine’s right to exist as a people—that should make your blood run cold.”
I joined UN Secretary-General @AntonioGuterres to reaffirm the partnership between the U.S. and the United Nations.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 21, 2022
We discussed the threat of Russia's war in Ukraine to the UN Charter and global community and the need for swift action to address climate and food insecurity. pic.twitter.com/Chmwsv9IeF
He also dismissed Moscow’s claims that the war was brought on by the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, saying the “world should see these outrageous acts for what they are, no one other than Russia sought conflict.”
He said that the world must remain cautious of some nations’ “imperial ambitions” and reiterated his resolve to “stand in solidarity with Ukraine against Russia’s aggression.” In this regard, Biden revealed that the US has backed Kyiv with $25 billion worth of economic support, and security and humanitarian assistance.
Democratic Principles
Describing democracy as “humanity’s greatest instrument to address the challenges of our time,” President Biden vowed to “champion a vision for our world that is grounded in the values of democracy.” In this respect, he said that the US has partnered with G7 nations to promote democratic values.
In fact, Biden’s push for democracy the world over was evident in June, when he excluded Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba from the 9th Americas Summit in Los Angeles, owing to their non-democratic nature. He also held a ‘Democracy Summit’ last December that excluded Turkey, Russia, China, Hungary, Venezuela, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
Biden's #UNGA speech was nothing but lip service to the greatest threats we face.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) September 21, 2022
It's time to show China, Iran, and our other adversaries that we mean business. Biden's platitudes and talking points fell short.
UN Charter and UNSC Reforms
Biden described the UN Charter as “an act of dauntless hope.” He quoted former US President Harry Truman in hailing the Charter in 1945 as “proof that nations, like men, can state their differences, can face them, and then can find common ground on which to stand.”
He praised the Charter for having protected the world from “politics of fear and coercion” by defending the “sovereign rights of smaller nations as equal to those of larger ones” and embracing “ basic principles like freedom of navigation, respect for international law, and arms control.”
Furthermore, Biden acknowledged the need to reform the UN Security Council, calling for the expansion of both permanent and non-permanent seats to make the body more representative and inclusive, and urged the permanent members to “refrain from the use of the veto, except in rare, extraordinary situations, to ensure that the Council remains credible and effective.”
In particular, he backed permanent seats at the UNSC table for African and Latin America and Caribbean nations, which have no seats at the table.
Even Biden only referred to the need to "refrain" from veto use in his UNGA speech today - P5 not going to go further than that.
— Richard Gowan (@RichardGowan1) September 21, 2022
Climate Diplomacy
Biden reaffirmed that the US is committed to a “bold climate agenda,” as exemplified by a new climate law in the country that earmarks $369 billion to tackle climate crises. The legislation aims to curtail the US’ emissions by one gigatonne a year by 2030, besides pledging increased investment in solar and wind energy projects, zero-emission vehicles, and clean manufacturing.
The president lauded the new law as a “global gamechanger” in climate diplomacy, noting that it will bring multiplier benefits by reducing the cost of developing clean energy technologies worldwide.
He added that his administration regards climate change dealings as a “priority,” as reflected in the US’ decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, convene major climate summits, and play a key role in delivering critical agreements during COP26 last year.
Impact of Climate Crisis
Biden also expressed concern over the “human cost of climate change” becoming increasingly evident, and pointed to the devastation caused by intense flooding in Pakistan and the “unprecedented drought” in the Horn of Africa region.
He emphasised on the need to build resilience against the effects of climate change and reiterated his commitment to providing $11 billion in climate financing to vulnerable developing countries. He expressed confidence that the Just Energy Transition program and the PREPARE plan would support half a billion people in vulnerable regions to effectively “turn back the tide of climate devastation.”
Global Health and Pandemic Response
Lamenting the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Biden revealed that the US had showcased an unwavering commitment to dealing with the global health challenges by delivering more than 620 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 116 countries around the world. He reaffirmed that the US will continue to undertake these efforts completely “free of charge, no strings attached.”
Additionally, he spoke about the G7’s initiative to institute a new Fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response under the aegis of the World Bank.
Besides COVID-19, Biden also pledged to strengthen the fight against other serious diseases, and committed $6 billion at the Seventh Replenishment Conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
Global Food Security
Rubbishing Moscow’s claims that Western sanctions had obstructed food and fertiliser exports, Biden clarified that the US sanctions “explicitly allow” the export of these items and reiterated that “It’s Russia’s war that is worsening food insecurity, and only Russia can end it.”
In this regard, he thanked UN Secretary-General António Guterres for facilitating a mechanism in July to resume exports from Black Sea ports that had remained blocked since February. Several leaders around the world, and specifically those in Africa, have expressed concerns over disruptions to food grains in the aftermath of the war, given that both Russia and Ukraine account for a major share of global wheat exports.
This caused food and fuel shortages and created inflationary pressures across the globe, with Biden highlighting that as many as 193 million people around the world are currently experiencing acute food insecurity.
#Makei at #UNGA following #Biden's speech: We share the US President's call that @antonioguterres Grain Initiative should work. #Belarus shares the opinion that fertilizers are important on farms to avoid starvation.
— Belarus MFA 🇧🇾 (@BelarusMFA) September 21, 2022
‼️We call for the lifting of sanctions on 🇧🇾 fertilizers pic.twitter.com/SuUm5f6WQY
To this end, he announced a $2.9 billion aid package to provide “lifesaving humanitarian and food security assistance.” He noted that the G7 in June also allocated $4.5 billion as funds to strengthen global food security.
He added that the US will continue to contribute to the World Food Programme and UNICEF’s initiatives to feed the world. Recognising climate change as an impediment to agricultural production, Biden vowed to strengthen USAID’s Feed the Future initiative, which supplies heat and drought-resistant seeds and fertilisers to farmers across the world to aid efficient and resilient food cultivation.
He said that in “every country in the world, no matter what else divides us, nothing else matters if parents cannot feed their children,” as he urged member states to refrain from banning food exports or hoarding grains at a time when the international community struggles to battle severe food insecurity.
Cyberspace
Biden called on all member states to present a cohesive and coordinated strategy to counter cyberwarfare and said it is necessary to strengthen norms to promote “responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.” He also spoke about the Trade and Technology Council, launched by the US with the European Union, to utilise technology to boost economic growth for all.
Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development
Biden reaffirmed that the US has partnered with nations across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, and the Indo-Pacific to build a “new economic ecosystem” that promotes “resilient, sustainable, and shared” economic growth.
He welcomed the implementation of the global minimum tax that will ensure that major corporations pay their fair share everywhere. He lauded the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for bringing together 10 ASEAN nations and Indo-Pacific partners, including India, to promote regional economic prosperity. He also spoke of the need to maintain resilient supply chains to make sure “that no country can use energy as a weapon.”
In the same vein, Biden said the US will continue its “unabashed” efforts to provide transparent investments in infrastructure that are “keyed to the needs of the communities they serve and not to the contributor.” He pointed to the G7’s $600 billion Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which has already launched renewable energy projects in Romania and Angola.
China Factor
Biden said the US aspires to be a “reasonable leader” amidst shifting geopolitical trends. Referring to China’s global ambitions, he reaffirmed that “We do not seek conflict. We do not seek a Cold War. We do not ask any nation to choose between the United States or any other partner.”
Furthermore, he reiterated a commitment to the “One China Policy,” stressing that it “has helped prevent conflict for four decades.” He declared that the world must “oppose unilateral changes in the status quo.” To this end, he expressed concern over the Chinese aggression against Taiwan and said that the US seeks to “uphold peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
In the same vein, Biden voiced his displeasure at China “conducting an unprecedented, concerning nuclear buildup without any transparency,” and urged nations to recommit to strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime through diplomacy.
Likewise, he also denounced Russia’s opposition to nuclear non-proliferation at the recently convened 10th NPT Review Conference, North Korea’s violations of the UN sanctions, and Iran’s ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons.
Stressing that the US is willing to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action if Iran lives up to its obligations, he said that nonproliferation is one of the “greatest successes” of the UN and “We cannot let the world now slide backwards.”
“The challenges are great, but our capacity is greater," said President Biden in his speech at the #UNGA today. Project HOPE applauds @POTUS's commitment to humanitarian aid for people living through crises in Venezeula, Haiti, Ethiopia, and around the world.
— Project HOPE (@projecthopeorg) September 21, 2022
Human Rights and Global Peace
Biden spoke about political turmoil in Ethiopia, Venezuela, Haiti, and Yemen, and called for peaceful dialogue and international and regional mediation efforts to resolve conflicts.
Additionally, he reiterated his support for the two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict, stating that it allows “both sides to fully respect the equal rights of their citizens; both people enjoying equal measure of freedom and dignity.”
Biden’s Support in #UNGA speech came as deaths toll in protests across Iran climbed up to 8 at least over Mahsa Amini’s death
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) September 21, 2022
Authorities moving ahead with social media crackdown… We are in Day 5 of protests.
Furthermore, he expressed concern over human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang, Myanmar, and by the Taliban in Afghanistan. He also expressed solidarity with Iranian women, who are currently holding nationwide anti-hijab protests.
To conclude, Biden called on world leaders to showcase their “unmistakable resolve” by committing to the foundational values of the UN Charter, which he said brings “dauntless hope” to all. “We’re not passive witnesses to history; we are the authors of history,” he underscored.