The general debate at the recent United Nations General Assembly’s 78th session concluded in much the same way as the many that preceded it – with significant global attention that trailed off shortly after it began.
The annual gathering is the preeminent multilateral stage for countries to showcase their commitments, achievements and visions for world governance. Like most big conferences, much of the real work is done behind the scenes. This year, over 2,000 bilateral meetings and 100 associated events were registered.
However, the general debate format too often leads to uninspired and predictable grandstanding by world leaders, who echo longstanding grievances in pre-prepared speeches devoid of solutions to global problems.
