Anita Anand Heads of State and Government and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges

Anita Anand, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Canada, addresses the General Debate of the 80th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 23 - 29 September 2025).
World leaders will gather to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, "Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights".
The General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly is the opportunity for Heads of State and Government to come together at the UN Headquarters and discuss world issues. Heads of State and Government and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.
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 of international 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.

Briefing by Bintou Keita, Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bintou Keita, said “peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is still mostly a promise,” and “will not last if the underlying drivers of conflict are not addressed.”
Presenting the Secretary-General’s latest report, Keita told the Security Council in New York that “there are discrepancies between the progress we see on paper and the reality we observe on the ground which continues to be marred with violence.”
She stated that the key provisions of Security Council resolution 2773 “remain largely unimplemented,” and despite the Council’s requests, the AFC/M23 armed group has “continued to pursue a logic of territorial expansion and consolidation.”
This and other issues, Keita said, underscore “the persisting gap between the decisions of this Council and the realities on the ground.”
She called upon the Council “to bring about a permanent ceasefire and a durable peace agreement that will establish stability in eastern DRC,” adding that “only then, will commitments be translated into meaningful progress for the people.”
Keita stressed that “illegal mining, looting of natural resources and illicit financial flows continue to fuel violence,” and said, “these activities must be stopped.”

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.