One day before the commencement of their High-Level meeting, the member states honoured the passing of 75 years since the organisation was first created.
The United Nations is officially commemorating its 75th anniversary. General Secretary Antonio Guterres noted the organisation emerged only after immense suffering.
"It took two world wars, millions of deaths and the horrors of the Holocaust for world leaders to commit to international cooperation and the rule of law. That commitment produced results. A third world war, which so many had feared has been avoided. Never in modern history have we gone so many years without a military confrontation between the major powers. This is a great achievement of which member states can be proud and which we must all strive to preserve."
Mr Guterres said gender inequality remains the greatest single challenge to human rights but highlighted the many shared tasks the world now faces.
"Climate calamity looms, biodiversity is collapsing, poverty is again rising. Hatred is spreading, geopolitical tensions are escalating, and nuclear weapons remain on hair-trigger alert. Transformative technologies have opened up new opportunities, but also exposed new threats. And the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the world's fragilities. We can only address them together."
US President Donald Trump didn't appear as scheduled to welcome delegates, so Cherith Norman Chalet, US Deputy Representative to the UN, spoke instead.
"In many ways the UN has proven to be a successful experiment. With notable exceptions its convening power brings much of the world to the table. Despite some unfortunate failings the UN's blue helmets have worked to maintain peace for decades through missions around the world. And organizations such as the World Food Program saves lives and improves futures every day."
Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the future holds difficult challenges.
‘’The issues we face are not getting any easier. The outlook is immensely challenging, but I remain optimistic. Together, as we have done before, we can not only solve these problems, but build the stage for a better world for future generations’’ said Mr Mitsotakis.
Meanwhile, in his own recorded message, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiades brought up the country’s tensions with Turkey.
‘’My own country, Cyprus, still suffering from the consequences of the illegal Turkish invasion of 1974, now suffers a new Turkish invasion within its territorial waters, whilst facing threats for the opening of the fenced city of Varosha, in violation of the relevant Security Council Resolutions.
We do count and rely on the UN Secretary – General and all UN members for the protection of our independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with international law, including the Charter and relevant resolutions of the United Nations’’ said Mr Anastasiades.
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