Hanoi, September 24, 2025 – The Europe Today: State President Lương Cường attended the opening of the high-level General Debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) in New York on Tuesday (local time).
Held under the theme “Better Together: 80 Years and Beyond for Peace, Development and Human Rights,” the session brought together nearly 150 heads of state, government leaders, senior representatives of UN member states, and leaders of international and regional organisations.
In his opening report on the global situation and the UN’s work, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that the world is moving towards multipolarity and warned of the risks of repeating the mistakes that led to the First World War without an effective multilateral system.
Guterres underlined the UN’s role as a “moral compass”—a force for peace, defender of international law, promoter of sustainable development, protector of human rights, and a body that transforms global commitments into concrete action. He outlined five key choices for the international community:
- Ensuring peace is grounded in international law.
- Safeguarding human rights and dignity by implementing international commitments, mobilising resources, and reforming the global financial system to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Accelerating climate justice and action through a just and sustainable energy transition, with stronger mechanisms for green finance.
- Harnessing advanced technologies and artificial intelligence for human and global development.
- Building a more inclusive, transparent, and future-ready United Nations, including through the UN80 Initiative and reforms to the 2026 budget to enhance accountability, efficiency, and delivery.
UNGA 80 President Annalena Baerbock praised the UN’s achievements over the past eight decades in supporting the international community. She reaffirmed the UN’s central role in the multilateral system, stressed that the strength of the UN Charter depends on members’ compliance, and highlighted gender equality by calling for the appointment of the first female UN Secretary-General.
World leaders also addressed the Assembly following the opening session. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged the international community to reset priorities by reducing military spending and allocating more resources to sustainable development.
US President Donald Trump described the UN as an organisation with great potential but notable shortcomings. He highlighted U.S. achievements in domestic and foreign policy, including efforts to help end seven conflicts, securing tariff agreements with several countries—including Việt Nam—and called for urgent steps to end the conflict in Gaza.
Many other leaders stressed that the international community is facing unprecedented challenges. They voiced strong support for the UN’s central role in global governance, called for respect for international law, advocated reforms to strengthen the organisation, and urged greater financial mobilisation—particularly for climate action—alongside enhanced cooperation to advance science and technology for global progress.
