This year’s UN General Assembly was more than just talk

Some declared the 77th United Nations General Assembly dead before it began. Irrelevant. All talk and no action.

If this is what you read in the days leading up to “UNGA,” you could be forgiven for believing that the U.N. and its annual gathering of heads-of-state wasn’t worth following. If so, you missed a lot. Consider the actions of the past few days — in many cases the direct results of U.S.-U.N. cooperation:

Tackling the global food crisis. The war in Ukraine and the global economic impacts of the COVID pandemic have created one of the worst food crises in recent history. With 345 million people soon facing starvation, according to the World Food Programme, President Biden announced $2.9 billion in new assistance, adding to $5 billion worth of pledges made earlier by the world’s seven largest developed economies. As bipartisan members of Congress have noted, food security is national security.

Brokering deals for food production. The U.N.’s role in brokering the agreement that has allowed 3.7 million metric tonnes of food to leave Ukraine is well known. Less well known are the negotiations underway that would allow ammonia to be shipped from Russia and Ukraine, a key ingredient in fertilizers used to increase crop yields around the world.

Fighting preventable disease. Protecting everyone from the deadliest infectious diseases is in everyone’s interest. The U.S. led the effort that helped raise $14 billion toward a goal of $18 billion for the Global Fund — one of the single largest fundraising efforts for global health ever.

Mitigating climate change. On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate ratified, with bipartisan support, an amendment to a U.N. treaty that compels countries to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, potent chemicals hundreds of times more powerful than carbon dioxide. The treaty was supported by environmental NGOs and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, beliving it makes American businesses more competitive overseas.

Defending human rights in Venezuela. A U.N. fact-finding mission on Venezuela released its third report, concluding that President Nicolás Maduro was one of the main architects of a system designed to silence and crush opposition to his government. A victory for human rights advocates, the evidence further isolates Maduro among world leaders.  

Averting environmental disaster. On Wednesday, the U.N. announced that the salvage of a rusting oil tanker off the coast of Yemen could begin. The tanker is carrying 1 million barrels of oil, estimated to be 4 times larger than the Exxon Valdez spill that devastated Alaska’s coast.  

Improving relations. On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of UNGA, thawing a 14-year chill between the countries and increasing hopes of collaboration on energy issues.

Then there is Russia and its unprovoked war in Ukraine. At UNGA, leaders around the world recommitted to the principles of the U.N. charter “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person.” President Biden was unflinching in his remarks. “The war is about extinguishing Ukraine’s right to exist as a state … that should make your blood run cold.”

Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the Security Council Thursday about Vladimir Putin’s plan to offer referenda to those living in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine, another attempt to claim Ukrainian land. Guterres was blunt. “Any annexation of a state’s territory by another state resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the U.N. Charter and of international law,” he said. Russia’s actions were condemned at almost every turn.

UNGA re-focused the world on Russia’s war in Ukraine, reminding us what’s at stake. This kind of talk is necessary and valuable. UNGA overall has become a rallying point and a platform for action. Whether that action occurs in the grand halls of the United Nations, or the many side events UNGA has inspired, is irrelevant. The actions speak for themselves.

Peter Yeo is the president of the Better World Campaign and senior vice president of the United Nations Foundation. Before joining UNF, he held senior roles on Capitol Hill and at the State Department.