United States of America - President Addresses United Nations General Debate, 78th Session

Joseph R. Biden President of the United States of America, addresses the general debate of the 78th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 19-26 September 2023).

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, President of the United States, recalling his meeting with a small group of American and Vietnamese veterans, said that, despite the painful legacy of war, "history does not need to dictate our future". Overwhelming challenges can be resolved and deep wounds can heal if the international community chooses to stand together and recognize the common hopes that bind all humanity. In this context, he highlighted the duty of the United States to work with countries in every region, ensuring that everyone has access to health care, the environment is protected and conflicts are resolved peacefully. The United States seeks a more secure, prosperous and equitable world for all people, he said, adding: "we know that our future is bound to yours" and no can meet the challenges of today alone. By (0) together, the world made some remarkable a.dundeniable progress: "We avoided the renewal of a global conflict while lifting more than 1 billion people out of extreme poverty," he said

He further underscored the need to make sure that "we are delivering for people everywhere, not just somewhere". This challenge starts with the United Nations, "it starts right here, in this room," he said, voicing support for expanding the Security Council and increasing the number of permanent and non-permanent members. Turning to the situation in Haiti, he spotlighted breakthroughs on hard issues, stressing that "people of Haiti cannot wait much longer". He also drew attention to his country's significant efforts to reform and scale up the World Bank, expanding its financing to lower-middle-income countries, and to reform the World Trade Organization (WTO). Stressing the need to forge new partnerships and confront new challenges, he said that technologies such as artificial intelligence represent both potential and peril and policies must be put into place to ensure their safety. "It is important to govern technologies, not the other way around, for them to govern us," he added.

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum ofinternational issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. Currently made up of 193 Member States, the UN and its work are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.

The UN has evolved over the years to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.

But one thing has stayed the same: it remains the one place on Earth where all the world's nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity.

General debate website: https://gadebate.un.org/