“When I hear our colleagues talk about the world that exists today they forget about the world behind us,” says France’s president Emmanuel Macron.
He talks about advocating for people who do not have a voice and throughout the speech quotes refugees from conflict zones including Libya and Syria – as well as victims of natural disasters tied to climate change.
Macron says France is opposed to chemical weapons in Syria and will continue its fight against terrorism there. He repeatedly emphasizes that these issues cannot be resolved solely with a military response – he says a political response is needed too.
Macron also denounces the “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
He says France remains committed to the Paris climate agreement and that the country will be introducing an environment measure at the UN today. Again, he says world leaders should be looking forward instead of to the past. He’s been speaking for more than 22 minutes.
Macron denounced the ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Myanmar. Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
The presidents of four countries have just spoken in favor of working together to end conflict and strife and warned of threats facing their countries and the world.
Slovakia’s president Andrej Kiska spoke about the importance of working together to address crises like famine and conflict and putting aside “egoism” in responding to the world’s problems.
“North Korea openly threatens our world with nuclear weapons,” he said. “Such disrespect to human life cannot be tolerated”.
He stepped down and was replaced by Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari, who talked about the threats of Isis and Boko Haram. He called for the empowerment of women and free and fair elections. “Our faith in democracy remains firm and unshaken,” Buhari said.
The Czech Republic’s president Miloš Zeman ended his speech with a quote: “If I knew there would be doomsday tomorrow I would go today and plant my apple tree”. It is a reference to a quote attributed to Martin Luther, that may have actually originated with church members opposed to Nazi rule in Germany.
And Liberia’s president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf just ended her speech. She is the first female president of Africa and highlighted the progress the country has made during her rule. Sirleaf has announced she will step down and the election for her successor is next month. “Liberia is your post-conflict success story,” she said.
People quickly responded to Sanders with the next line of Obama’s quote: “But aside from the humanitarian costs of that, they are right next door to our vital ally, Republic of Korea”.
The second line highlights the impact a war with North Korea could have on South Korea, whose capital city of Seoul is just 35 miles south of the demilitarized zone, the heavily armed border between the north and the south. There are 10 million people in Seoul and 28,500 US troops in South Korea.
Trump’s remarks were delivered around midnight in the Korean peninsula.
Netanyahu praises Trump's 'brave and clear' speech
Peter Beaumont
Our Jerusalem correspondent, Peter Beaumont, has reaction to Trump’s speech from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He says Netanyahu “could have written the section on Iran so closely does it ally with his own views on the threat posed by Tehran”.
Praising Trump, ahead of his own speech later this afternoon, Netanyahu said:
In my more than 30 years at the UN, I have never heard such a brave and clear speech. President Trump told the truth about the world’s lurking dangers, and called for them to be addressed with fortitude, to ensure the future of humanity.
The president of the Switzerland confederation, Doris Leuthard, opens by speaking about the world’s greatest challenges, like famine, and says that “no one country” can solve these issues on their own.
“The purpose of the UN is to maintain international peace and security,” she says, taking a moment to speak in English, though most of her address is in French.
She makes a clear allusion to Trump, saying that country’s cannot solve the world’s issues on their own and that she is a patriot, which is why she believes in a strong UN.
She then continues her address in French, touching on the need to reduce sexual exploitation (an effort which Switzerland is contributing funds to the UN to end), and to help resolve the conflict in Libya.
“To each his own” is not a viable way of responding to global issues, says Leuthard, concluding her speech.
A reminder: Switzerland has no head of state, but instead a committee of seven elected leaders, known as the Federal Council.
Condé also speaks about terrorism, saying it can only be eradicated if poverty ends.
He advocates for a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestine conflict. He reaffirms the republic’s support of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
“African young people and women are determined to write a new page in the history of humanity,” he says, asking for the UN to help make that happen.
He ends the speech with a call of support for the Paris climate deal and a request for increased international aid to Sierra Leone.
After a five-minute break, the group has reassembled.
Now up, Guinea’s president, Alpha Condé.
“The fact Africa is lagging behind will not always be the case,” he says.
He calls for diversified economies in Africa through investment in energy, infrastructure and agriculture.
He says Africans “yearn for prosperity,” especially the country’s youth.
“Africa has decide to take responsibility for itself and to speak henceforth with one voice,” he says, speaking at length about the impact of the African Union.
He says the UN security council “no longer reflects current realities” and bemoans the lack of significant African representation on the council. He calls for an enlargement of the council to include African representatives selected by the African Union.
While Trump’s speech touched on myriad topics including migration, terrorism and the threatened destruction of North Korea, but speech-watchers note he missed several other key topics swirling at this year’s UN general assembly.
Missing from @realDonaldTrump's speech at #UNGA? Criticism of Russia. Hardly mentioned.
Trump speaks about the US middle class, saying they will be “forgotten no more”.
He heralds the importance of patriotism, again emphasizing that countries can only resolve global conflict if they protect themselves and their interests first.
“Now we are calling for a great reawakening of nations,” he says.
“We need to defeat the enemies of humanity and unlock the potential of life itself,” he says.
Trump thanks the audience and concludes, after about 41 minutes and 20 seconds, by saying: “God bless you, God bless the nations of the world, and God bless the United states of America”.
The scene at UN headquarters. Photograph: Andrew Gombert/EPA
Trump briefly winds down his speech to speak about the need to empower “women entrepreneurs,” earning applause, before becoming angry again to talk about the US contributions to the UN.
He says the US carries an “unfair burden” with the resources it provides to the UN.
Trump then attacks Cuba and the government of Venezuela. He says people need to do more to address the situation there.
He begins the 34th minute of his speech with a critique of communism.
