Editorial | UNGA: Rhetoric vs reality

At the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Presidents of the US and Iran were a study in contrasts. While Donald Trump sounded like a schoolyard bully, his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, presented himself as a sage voice of reason. The US President was all sound and fury, threatening to “annihilate the Islamic Republic”, while the Iranian leader was the personification of calm defiance, asserting his country would neither “bow our heads” nor “bend at the knees”, but without closing the door on negotiations. Drawing a comparison between the bombing of Iran and Gaza by the US and Israel, he took a jab at the double standards of the international community.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, denied a visa to travel to the US for a second consecutive year, delivered his address through a pre-recorded video. Conversely, despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for crimes relating to the bombing of Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the UNGA session. However, he had to face the ignominy of widespread reprobation as dozens of delegates walked out of the hallowed chamber. The symbolism was telling and could not be missed.

Despite making global headlines, there is a growing perception about UNGA’s waning historical importance during conflict, reducing the session to a diplomatic ritual of diminishing significance. The UN as an international organisation has experienced a decline, more so during the first and the current presidency of Trump. A prime example is Trump’s Board of Peace to oversee Gaza’s demilitarisation and rebuilding, aiming to usurp the UN’s global role and reduce its long-term relevance.

Within the system, the UNGA once enjoyed clout as a deliberative and policy-making body representing all 193 member states on an equal footing under a "one nation, one vote" framework. Its main limitation remains its lack of bite as a non-binding body. In contrast, the UN Security Council is better placed, but it too falls short of meaningful intervention in ongoing conflicts.

Even as the UN continues to face serious questions relating to relevance and credibility, India has given top priority to securing a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council. India has, over the years, garnered support from several nations for its bid and overall structural reform requiring an amendment to the UN Charter.

As world leaders converge, the UNGA offers key opportunities for interactions and sideline dialogues. Iran seized the moment, with Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi going on a public relations and diplomatic overdrive to not only showcase the country’s resilience but also hard-sell its two-pronged strategy of resistance to intimidation and dialogue for ending conflict. Prominent among their meetings was one with US Special Envoy Steve, which was disclosed by Trump itself. Indications suggest the Iranians will bargain hard for immediate relief, which will pave the way for a more durable agreement. Iran’s offer to open the Strait of Hormuz within seven days could secure a tactical pause and also test diplomatic waters.