The 77th UN General Assembly: The First In-Person Meeting in Three Years

written by 10420 Lim Se Yeon

The 77th United Nations (UN) General Assembly was held from September 20th to 26th, 2022 in New York, in the United States. 

Since 2019, it has been online or mixed online and offline meetings due to COVID-19. Therefore this year’s meeting was different due to the UN General Assembly being the first entirely offline meeting since the Covid pandemic started.

This year, there were two major agendas: the Russia-Ukraine war and the windfall tax.

Russia-Ukraine War

On the first day of the assembly, many world leaders criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called for an end to the war. 

The French president mentioned Russia’s invasion as a return of imperialism and colonialism and blamed Russia for destroying the world order while delivering a 30-minute speech, which is twice the scheduled time. 

The German chancellor said that the return of imperialism would be a disaster not only for Europe but also for global peace. 

The president of Poland, who shares Ukraine’s border, emphasized the seriousness of the current situation, saying that if the war ends in Russia’s victory, other countries could be challenged. 

Finland’s president, whose country is seeking NATO membership, also argued that the international community should not tolerate or accept Russia’s invasion without a justifiable reason. 

Turkey and Japan insisted on the need for a diplomatic solution such as hosting peace talks and reform of the Security Council to solve the situation.

While many European countries criticized Russia, third-world countries took a neutral stance against the invasion. 

The Brazilian president disagreed with unilateral and selective sanctions for the solution of war. 

The African Union chairman strongly mentioned that they didn’t want to choose either side in the war.

The Windfall Tax

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, claimed to use the windfall tax (higher tax rate on profits that result from a sudden windfall gain to a particular company or industry) on fossil fuel companies in developed countries that have benefited greatly from rising energy prices to solve the climate crisis. He said that it would be used for countries hit hard by the climate crisis and for those suffering from soaring food and energy prices. 

Since the European Union has already promoted the windfall tax, the possibility of implementing the tax has increased. 

Presidents from the Marshall Islands (one of the first countries to disappear due to the rising sea level) and the Philippines raised their voices. They stated that industrialized countries should fulfill their responsibilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help developing countries.

Our society’s reality is countries that are relatively less responsible for climate change are suffering more. So this injustice is an important issue that must be resolved.

Why Students Should Know

The UN is an international organization that encompasses almost all countries worldwide. Therefore, through the UN General Assembly, students can learn about the current international issues and each country’s position. 

Understanding world trends is important for students who will lead future societies. Furthermore, thinking about the agendas discussed at the UN General Assembly will greatly help cultivate the qualities to become a global talent.