77th United Nations General Assembly to conclude

The 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will conclude today.

The session, which convened on September 13 and began general debates on September 20, also served as a backdrop for summits on development in Africa and the Caribbean and transforming education. During the General Assembly, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida a met, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a remote address. Speeches during general debate largely reflected concerns around the knock-on effects of the war in Ukraine. Most countries reiterated their previously held objections to the invasion of Ukraine based on international law. China, in a surprise statement, asserted the need to preserve national sovereignty, turning from their previous neutrality.

More countries may sign on to the international sanctions regime on Russia following the session, both because of Zelensky’s speech and the evolution in China’s stance–the latter of which may be taken as implicit permission by smaller Chinese client states to outright oppose the war. Also, a greater divestment from Russia by the Chinese government is possible. However, an implicit withdrawal of any previous support for the war by China should not to be interpreted as alignment with the US and its allies.