President Biden will deliver what will be his final address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday — and it will likely also be one of his last speeches on the world stage as president, capping a decades-long political career heavily focused on foreign policy.
The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, commonly known as UNGA, is bringing together world leaders in New York. A senior administration official told reporters that the themes of the president’s speech will encompass many of the foreign policy themes he has emphasized throughout his term: rallying the world around Ukraine, managing global competition and emphasizing the importance of preserving the UN Charter.
“He came to office four years ago with a vision of America returning to the world stage, with a new way of interacting with other countries, bringing countries together to solve some of these big challenges,” a senior administration official told reporters on a call before the speech.
It’s a busy week in foreign policy for the president, who encounter The leaders of the Indo-Pacific countries (Japan, Australia and India) were received this weekend at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. He will meet with world leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, as well as the Ukrainian president. Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House THURSDAY.
The ongoing tension in the Middle East is expected to dominate much of the conference, and a senior administration official said the president would discuss the situation there. He called the situation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon “delicate and dangerous.”
Missiles struck southern Lebanon on Monday, killing nearly 500 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, as Israel said it was targeting Hezbollah Weapons hidden in residential buildings. The explosions came as Israel announced a new wave of attacks against the Iran-backed group in Lebanon, warning civilians to flee any buildings or areas where the organization had weapons or fighters positioned.
Mr. Biden has said he believes a cease-fire and hostage-bargaining deal is close, but nearly a year after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war, an agreement remains elusive. Earlier this month, Mr. Biden said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not prepared to accept the Supreme Court’s proposal. do enough to get an agreement.
Last month, Hamas executed six of the people the group was holding hostage, including an American citizen.
At the United Nations General Assembly last year, a major topic of discussion was Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine, which has been a central focus for Mr. Biden, who has stressed the need to protect democracy throughout his presidency and presidential campaign.
Following the presidency of former President Donald Trump, who had more isolationist tendencies toward his allies, Mr. Biden has emphasized that close relationships with his allies are in America’s best interests.
“To meet the needs of our own people, we must also engage deeply with the rest of the world,” Mr. Biden said In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last year, he said: “To secure our own future, we must work together with other partners – our partners – towards a common future. Our security, our prosperity and our freedoms are interconnected, in my view, as never before. So I believe we must work together as never before.”
