Latest United Nations General Assembly News

Leaders depart UN facing prospect of a wider Mideast war — but with a blueprint for a better future

Sep. 30, 2024 21:03 PM EDT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — They gathered at the United Nations surrounded by unsettling warnings of an escalating conflict that could engulf the Middle East and further shatter international relations that are based on "multilateralism" — nations working together and sharing power. A week later,...

On a day when isolated nations get their say at the UN, North Korea reups condemnation of US

Sep. 30, 2024 20:10 PM EDT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — North Korea condemned the United States and its allies Monday for “stirring up military confrontations still further" by engaging in war games in the Asia-Pacific region and “talking unceasingly” about regime change in the diplomatically isolated nation. U.N....

US opts out of running for reelection on UN Human Rights Council

Sep. 30, 2024 16:35 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has decided not to seek a second consecutive term on the much-maligned U.N. Human Rights Council, the State Department said Monday. The administration had made U.S. membership on the Geneva-based council a priority when it took office in...

Behind the loudest issues, the UN is a world stage for disputes that are often out of the spotlight

Sep. 29, 2024 17:51 PM EDT

The world’s greatest stage is the sprawling Midtown Manhattan complex where leaders meet each year to discuss humanity’s future. The United Nations' most powerful body — the Security Council — is paralyzed by disputes, so this year's most varied speeches were delivered before...

Humanitarians enlist entertainers and creators to reach impassioned youth during United Nations week

Sep. 29, 2024 08:34 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — A lively discussion broke out backstage during Climate Week NYC between a TikTok comedian, a buzzed-about actress, a Latin cuisine entrepreneur and a cooking content creator. Convened by World Food Program USA to educate the panel's audiences — over 1.8 million...

PHOTO COLLECTION: United Nations General Assembly

Sep. 28, 2024 18:50 PM EDT
This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

Russia invokes its nuclear capacity in a UN speech that's full of bile toward the West

Sep. 28, 2024 17:41 PM EDT

Russia’s top diplomat warned Saturday against “trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power,” delivering a U.N. General Assembly speech packed with condemnations of what Russia sees as Western attempts at global domination and machinations in Ukraine -- and even inside the United Nations...

Civil society groups nudge and cajole world leaders from the sidelines of United Nations week

Sep. 27, 2024 17:26 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — As the meeting of world leaders kicked off at the United Nations on Sunday, across Manhattan on an elevated park that runs along old rail lines, throngs of people streamed through a “climate science fair” showcasing work on nature, food and the energy transition. ...

New British leader vows his nation will reengage on global leadership

Sep. 27, 2024 05:08 AM EDT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took the international stage at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday for the first time with a message: His nation is returning to “responsible global leadership.” The Labour Party leader, who won a landslide...

What to know from the UN: Before Netanyahu speech, 2 leaders denounce Israeli actions to their peers

Sep. 26, 2024 20:46 PM EDT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The topics of Israel’s war with Hamas and fighting in Lebanon have dominated speeches at the U.N. General Assembly’s meeting this week. On Thursday, one side finally got the podium — including a moment of drama amid the ocean of words from the world's leaders. ...