• Union struggles to remain relevant as Guterres decries disruptions, sufferings
• ‘For every dollar spent on peace, world spends $750 on weapons’
• Charter as strong as Member States’ commitment, UNGA President warns
• Trump makes immigration central, vows jail for illegal entrants
• Lula warns against autocracy, wants end to hunger, poverty, climate crisis
• Tinubu: Africa must finance its mineral assets, assert power in global supply chains
• Nigeria positioned as hub for AfCFTA’s $3.4tr market, says Shettima

The opening of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) yesterday laid bare deep divides in global politics, as leaders offered sharply contrasting visions for governance, democracy, peace, and cooperation, while Secretary-General António Guterres warned that aid cuts are “wreaking havoc” on human rights and development.

Opening the general debate, Guterres recalled that the creation of the organisation was a conscious decision for cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, peace over conflict.

He cautioned that the world has “entered an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering”, even as he challenged world leaders to choose a future: “A world of raw power — or a world of laws. A world that is a scramble for self-interest — or a world where nations come together.”

Guterres said the international community must strengthen the United Nations for the twenty-first century. Describing as “indefensible” the fact that for every dollar invested in peacebuilding, the world spends 750 dollars on weapons of war, he emphasised: “In this moment of crisis, the United Nations has never been more essential.”

Outlining “five critical choices”, he urged Member States to choose peace rooted in international law. “Impunity is the mother of chaos — and it has spawned some of the most atrocious conflicts of our times,” he warned. In Sudan, civilians are being slaughtered, starved and silenced, he said, stressing the need to end external support that is fuelling the bloodshed.

Stressing that “human rights are not an ornament of peace — they are its bedrock”, he said they require everyday battle and political will. The fuel to achieve them through the shared road map of the Sustainable Development Goals needs financing to fuel it, but aid cuts are wreaking havoc. “To choose dignity, we must choose financial justice and solidarity,” he said, calling for reform of the international financial architecture.

Commending recent diplomatic efforts by the United States and others to end the war in Ukraine, he called for a full ceasefire and a just, lasting peace. “In Gaza, the horrors are approaching a third monstrous year,” he observed, citing “a scale of death and destruction beyond any other conflict” in his years as Secretary-General. He reiterated his condemnation of the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and the taking of hostages, while underscoring that “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of Gaza”. He called for the full and immediate implementation of International Court of Justice measures, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and humanitarian access. “And we must not relent in the only viable answer to sustainable Middle East peace: a two-State solution,” he stated.

On climate change, Guterres warned that “the window is closing” to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C this century. “We need stepped-up action and ambition — especially through strengthened national climate plans,” he said, stressing that the Group of 20 (G20) — the biggest emitters — must lead. He called for scaled-up climate finance, including a credible road map to mobilise $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries by 2035, doubling adaptation finance to $40 billion this year, and full capitalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund.

Turning to technology, he said: “Technology must be our servant — not our master.” Welcoming the Assembly’s decision to establish an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and an annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance, he cautioned against the unregulated use of artificial intelligence (AI): “No company should be above the law. No machine should decide who lives or dies.”

“Together, let us choose to invest in a United Nations that adapts, innovates and is empowered to deliver for people everywhere,” he urged. Concluding, the Secretary-General called for decisive action: “In a world of many choices, there is one choice we must never make: the choice to give up. We must never give up. For peace. For dignity. For justice. For humanity.”

Charter as strong as Member States’ commitment, UNGA President warns
President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock of Germany called on Member States to confront global crises with renewed unity and to strengthen the United Nations as it marks its eightieth anniversary.

Baerbock observed that the international community is once again standing at a crossroads. “It is up to us, to every single Member State to live up to the same leadership as our predecessors,” she said. “To act when action is needed. To uphold the principles of our Charter. To be better together.”

Moreover, they must “show the people around the world that the United Nations is there. Today. Tomorrow. And for the next eight decades,” because it is “the life insurance for every country.”

“This is not an ordinary year,” Baerbock said, citing conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She cautioned against allowing critics to brand the organisation as outdated or irrelevant, arguing that “it is not the Charter which fails, nor the UN as an institution. The Charter is only as strong as Member States’ willingness to uphold it, and to hold its violators accountable.”

She pointed to the organisation’s tangible impact, noting that UNICEF educates 26 million children while the World Food Programme supports nearly 125 million people. Without the UN, she said, the world would be “much worse off.”

Framing the session as a test of resolve, she described the UN as “a compass pointing towards peace, humanity and justice,” founded “in a world on fire” and strengthened through resilience. Its story, she said, is not one of easy victories but of nations falling, rising and pulling one another back up.

Baerbock stressed that leadership means “lifting others up” rather than imposing one’s will. She cited international cooperation on the pandemic, climate action, aviation safety, and emerging efforts to regulate artificial intelligence. “In this globalised, digitalised world, we work together or we suffer alone,” she declared.

She introduced the theme of the session, “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights.” Living up to this, she said, would not be easy, as even the “house of dialogue and diplomacy” requires renovation. The UN80 initiative and broader reform process, she argued, are “make-or-break” steps to ensure the institution is agile, cost-effective and fit for purpose.

Baerbock pressed Member States to deliver on the Pact for the Future and accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, which she described as essential for lasting peace.

Looking ahead, she underscored the significance of the forthcoming selection of the next Secretary-General, noting that a woman has never been chosen for the role. This, she said, is “not only an issue of representation but also of the credibility of the UN.”

Trump makes immigration central at UNGA, vows jail for illegal entrants
Former United States President Donald J. Trump placed immigration at the heart of his speech to the United Nations General Assembly, vowing tough action against illegal entry into the country while attacking President Joseph R. Biden’s record and the UN’s role in migration policy.

“Our message is very simple: If you come illegally into the United States, you’re going to jail or you’re going back to where you came from, or perhaps even worse: you know what that means,” Mr Trump told delegates. He accused the Biden Administration of failing to protect vulnerable migrants, alleging that nearly 300,000 children trafficked into the country under Mr Biden’s watch had been “raped, exploited and abused.”

The former President also targeted the UN itself, accusing it of undermining US sovereignty. He said the organisation had spent “$372 million in cash to support 624,000 migrants to journey into the United States to infiltrate our southern border.” “The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not promote them,” he added.

Mr Trump tied immigration to wider criticisms of global governance, arguing that lax border policies and reliance on green energy were “destroying Europe.” He said: “Energy and open immigration is destroying Europe,” citing Germany’s economic struggles as a warning.

Although immigration dominated his remarks, Mr Trump also pointed to what he described as record-breaking investment levels during his presidency, contrasting them with what he called poor economic performance under President Biden. He claimed his Administration delivered “the largest tax cuts and the largest regulation cuts in the history of the country.”

On foreign policy, he claimed credit for ending “seven un-endable wars” and pressed for tougher action in Gaza and Ukraine. He also accused NATO countries of hypocrisy for buying Russian oil and gas while opposing Moscow and suggested tariffs as a way to force an end to the conflict.

Closing his speech, Mr Trump returned to the theme of national sovereignty. “America belongs to the American people,” he said, urging other nations to defend their own borders.

Lula warns against autocracy, wants fight against hunger, poverty, climate crisis
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has warned that the global crisis of multilateralism is undermining democracy, as anti-democratic forces attempt to weaken institutions and suppress freedoms.

“Throughout the world, anti-democratic forces are trying to subjugate institutions and stifle freedoms. They worship violence, praise ignorance, act as physical and digital militias, and restrict the press,” he told the United Nations General Assembly. Brazil, he said, will continue to defend its democracy and sovereignty from unilateral measures targeting its judiciary and economy.

Lula noted that, for the first time in 525 years of Brazilian history, a former Head of State had been convicted of attacking democracy. The right to a legal defence was upheld, he stressed, sending a message to “aspiring autocrats” that Brazil’s democracy is non-negotiable.

He argued that sound democracies reduce inequality and guarantee rights such as food, housing, education and health. “Poverty is as much an enemy of democracy as extremism,” he said, adding that Brazil had been removed from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Hunger Map in 2025, although 2.3 billion people globally remain food insecure. “The only war of which everyone can emerge victorious is the one we wage against hunger and poverty,” he said, urging reduced arms spending, greater development aid, debt relief for poor nations and a global minimum tax to ensure the wealthy pay more than workers.

Turning to digital regulation, Lula warned that online platforms are spreading intolerance, misogyny, xenophobia and disinformation. Regulation, he argued, is not censorship but the extension of existing laws into the virtual space, covering crimes such as human trafficking and paedophilia. He praised the Brazilian Parliament for acting quickly with new legislation.

On regional issues, he voiced concern over instability in Latin America and the Caribbean, condemning the use of lethal force outside armed conflict as “executing people without trial.” Dialogue, he stressed, must remain open in Venezuela, while Haiti deserves a “violence-free future.” He also rejected Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Addressing the Middle East, Lula condemned Hamas’s attacks but said “nothing justifies the ongoing genocide in Gaza.” He accused Western powers of double standards and reaffirmed that peace depends on the creation of an independent Palestinian State.

On climate change, he warned that “bombs and nuclear weapons will not protect us from the climate crisis.” Citing 2024 as the hottest year on record, he said the upcoming UN Climate Conference in Belem would be a chance for leaders to prove their commitment. Brazil, he said, has pledged to cut emissions by up to 67 per cent across all sectors and has halved Amazon deforestation in two years.

Lula urged world leaders to abandon zero-sum approaches. “In an increasingly multipolar world, peace requires multilateralism,” he said.

Tinubu: Africa must finance its mineral assets, assert power in global supply chains
• Pledges Nigeria’s commitment to mineral-led renaissance under Renewed Hope Agenda
President Bola Tinubu has called for a bold reset in the global financial architecture governing Africa’s mineral resources, urging African nations to finance their own mineral sectors and assert collective power in global supply chains.

He said this was crucial to safeguarding sovereignty, while recommending stronger collaboration with development allies and partners to unlock Africa’s mineral economy for the continent’s benefit.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu made the call at the Second Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals Development in Africa, held on the margins of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.

“We must take the bull by the horns in financing our future. Never again shall we wait for capital to trickle in. With sovereign funds, blended vehicles, and innovative tools like the Africa Mineral Token, Africa shall finance Africa.

“To safeguard this sovereignty, we must guard our cobalt, lithium, graphite, gold, and rare earths not as fragmented states but as one continental bloc, wielding collective power in global supply chains,” Tinubu declared.

The President pledged Nigeria’s commitment to catalysing a mineral-led renaissance under the Renewed Hope Agenda, urging African leaders to end the “ignoble cycle” of exporting raw minerals while importing finished products.

Outlining his vision, Tinubu identified four key imperatives. First, he said Africa must climb the value chain by ending the export of raw minerals and building industries on African soil through beneficiation and green manufacturing.

Second, he stressed the importance of owning Africa’s data, leveraging the African Minerals and Energy Resource Classification (AMREC) and the Pan-African Resource Reporting Code (PARC) to map and standardise geological knowledge, ensuring data ownership by Africans.

Third, he called for accelerated exploration and mapping, through prioritising nationwide surveys, strengthening geological agencies, and pooling expertise through AMSG to secure sovereignty and value creation.

Finally, he emphasised financing Africa’s future by mobilising sovereign funds, blended financial vehicles, and innovations such as the Africa Mineral Token to drive homegrown financing.

Tinubu also commended countries such as Zimbabwe, Gabon, and Kenya for enforcing export bans on raw minerals to promote local beneficiation, while noting Nigeria is accelerating similar reforms.

The President hailed Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, who chaired the event, and Uganda’s AMSG Secretary-General, H.E. Moses Michael Engadu, for steering Africa towards “a path of productivity and pride.”

“As Chair of this Roundtable, I pledge Nigeria’s unflinching commitment to ensuring that AMSG fulfils its promise of catalysing a mineral-led renaissance. Let us rise from this dialogue with a communiqué of clarity, a framework for action, and a spirit of unity,” Tinubu affirmed.

Welcoming delegates, Dr Alake stressed the need for cohesion and transparency among African nations, insisting that minerals are “indispensable for global sustainable development” and central to Africa’s industrialisation drive.

UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Africa Director, Ahunna Eziakonwa, cautioned African leaders to guard against exploitation, urging them to prioritise partnerships that deliver technology transfer, beneficiation, and job creation.

European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Stkela, noted that under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (2024), the bloc had signed 14 strategic partnerships on raw materials value chains, including four in Africa.

Nigeria is positioned as hub for AfCFTA’s $3.4tr market, says Shettima
Vice President Kashim Shettima has maintained that Nigeria is positioned as the natural hub for the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) $3.4 trillion market.

Shettima cited Nigeria’s sovereign rating by platforms such as Fitch and Moody’s as part of the reasons during a Roundtable hosted by the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), themed “Risk, Reform, Return”, held on the margins of the ongoing 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

Highlighting Nigeria’s geographic position as a natural hub for trade between Africa, the Americas, and Asia, he said President Tinubu’s ongoing reforms have led to an overhaul of Nigeria’s trade and investment policies, which are already bearing fruit.

“This reset includes full implementation of the AfCFTA, the roll-out of a National Single Window for trade, a new Investment and Securities Act, an upgraded PPP framework, and modernised bilateral investment treaties. The results are visible. Our GDP growth is accelerating, external reserves are strengthening, and inflation is moderating. This is why investor commitments are also rebounding.”

Stressing Nigeria’s vast economic transformation and potential, he recalled that in April, Fitch upgraded Nigeria’s sovereign rating to B with a stable outlook, while Moody’s lifted its issuer rating to B3 with a stable outlook. According to him, this positions Nigeria as the natural hub for the AfCFTA’s $3.4 trillion market.

“We have also built a four-pillar incentives framework designed to reduce investor risk, accelerate cash returns, and make Nigeria one of the most competitive destinations for capital in the Global South.

“A simpler, predictable tax regime now offers clear capital allowances, research and development deductions, and export-linked rebates, while investors in priority sectors can achieve faster breakeven through five per cent annual tax credits on qualifying capital expenditure,” he said.

He noted that in Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones, the federal government offers duty-free imports, rent concessions, rebates on non-oil export proceeds, and integrated logistics platforms that unlock working capital for exporters.

“Cross-border protections now include updated bilateral investment treaties, investor promotion and protection agreements, structured repatriation pathways, and streamlined FX access. These give investors confidence that their capital and profits are protected,” he said.

He added that the nation’s Special Agro-Industrial Zones are reducing post-harvest losses by up to 40 per cent and linking farmers directly to processing and export hubs, transforming Nigeria from a fragmented producer into a continent-scale food system serving millions across West Africa.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olajumoke Oduwole, said President Tinubu has overhauled the nation’s trade and investment policy, which includes full implementation of the AfCFTA, a National Single Window Project for trade facilitation, a new Investment and Securities Act, an upgraded Public-Private Partnership framework, and modernised bilateral investment treaties.

“Since these reforms began, there has been roughly $50 billion in investment interest and announcements tracked across key sectors,” Oduwole said.