President Lee Jae-myung to Chair UN Security Council for the First Time, Placing AI and Peace at the Forefront

The upcoming high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly, which will bring together heads of state and top officials from the UN's 193 member nations, is set to convene next week in New York.

From September 23 to 29, the annual General Debate will see leaders, prime ministers, and ministers take the stage at UN headquarters to present their countries’ official positions on foreign policy and pressing global issues.

This year’s session is expected to focus primarily on the ongoing armed conflicts and humanitarian crises in regions such as Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan. UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the gravity of the situation in Palestine, stating, “Palestinians are enduring appalling conditions—facing famine, halted aid, ongoing forced displacement, and threats to their lives. Morally, politically, and legally, this is unacceptable.”

French President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of several Western countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, have announced plans to officially recognize Palestine as a state during the high-level week. France and Saudi Arabia are jointly hosting a high-level international conference at the UN on September 22, focused on a peaceful resolution for Palestine and implementing the two-state solution.

Conversely, Israel and the United States have fiercely opposed moves toward recognition of Palestinian statehood. The US has reportedly denied or canceled entry visas for key Palestinian Authority officials including President Mahmoud Abbas, prompting objections from some member states.

US President Donald Trump is slated to deliver his keynote address at the General Assembly for the first time since returning to office. On September 23, he will follow Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as the second keynote speaker. Trump has previously addressed the UN General Assembly four times between 2017 and 2020, once by video conference.

President Lee Jae-myung will also deliver a keynote speech on the same day. Kang Yoo-jung, spokesperson for the Office of the President, announced that President Lee plans to share South Korea’s experience in overcoming democratic challenges and present his administration’s vision and policy on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula and global affairs.

Addressing global flashpoints, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to speak on September 24, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to deliver an address on September 26. In Russia’s stead, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent the country on September 27.

On the final day of the high-level session, a North Korean vice minister will deliver a speech, marking the first high-ranking envoy sent from Pyongyang in six years. Diplomatic sources suggest that Vice Foreign Minister Kim Sun-kyung may attend, as previously, North Korea’s permanent representative to the UN had delivered the address.

Significantly, President Lee Jae-myung will, for the first time in South Korea’s history, chair a United Nations Security Council open debate as Security Council president on September 24. The discussion will center on “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and International Peace and Security,” with South Korea holding the Council presidency for the entire month of September.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News