For ‘we’ all over the world

Alexey Naumov

For the first time in his life, American President Joe Biden acted as head of state at the UN General Assembly. With all his appearance and his speech, Mr. Biden wanted to achieve one important goal: to show that he, Joe Biden, is actually the opposite of his predecessor Donald Trump.
“The strong partnership between the United States and the UN is based on common values, on common principles, and today these ties are more important than ever. America is back, and we believe in the United Nations and their values ??”- this Joe Biden, speaking at the General Assembly, did not say. He said this even before his speech, before meeting with the Secretary General of the organization, Antonio Guterres. He emphasized that in the hour of testing, when both COVID-19 and climate change are pressing on humanity, global problems can only be solved together, and not through individual efforts of states or their small groups. The American president admitted that he had re-read the UN charter the day before – “we sometimes forget what the fundamental principles were” – and was imbued with them.
Mr. Guterres did not skimp on compliments: he said that interaction with Washington is extremely important for the UN. “The United States is the fundamental pillar of our activity – the United States with its strong commitment to human rights, peace and security throughout the world, commitment to engagement and development, and now with your leadership,” the official explained.
Joe Biden spoke for more than half an hour when he first appeared on the main podium of the UN. He began with a pandemic, calling the current era “a time of great pain and incredible opportunity.” Each of the 4.5 million deaths associated with the virus is a tragedy, the head of the White House said.
Today, the President noted, the world is at a fork in the road, and it is necessary to look into the future, preparing for a new era – the era of stubborn diplomacy, since it alone is capable of responding to the challenges of the future.
“Instead of fighting the wars of the past, we are looking into our common future, channeling resources there to protect it. (It is necessary – Kommersant ) to put an end to the pandemic, find an answer to climate change, cope with the changing dynamics of forces in the world, develop world rules in the most important areas like trade, cybersecurity and new technologies, as well as repel the current threat of terrorism, “said Mr. Biden. He pledged that military force would be the last tool his country would resort to, an alternative to engaging with allies on the ground. The President noted that the United States is “back” and is committed to international organizations and associations such as the EU, NATO, WHO and ASEAN.
Joe Biden promised to fight for justice all over the world: for the rights of workers, for the environment, for the protection of intellectual property. “We will support long-term rules and regulations that have shaped the directions of international interaction over the decades and which have provided an indispensable service to the development of countries around the world. Basic rules like freedom of navigation, adherence to international rules and treaties, and support for arms control measures to reduce risk and increase transparency, ”he explained.
In addition to general words, there were also enough specific statements.
The President said that the United States will focus on new regions, in particular the Indo-Pacific, and immediately noted the successful interaction within the framework of the Quadripartite Security Dialogue (QUAD). He also promised to announce new US initiatives to combat the COVID-19 pandemic around the world in the near future. In addition, Joe Biden announced a $ 10 billion commitment to fighting hunger around the world and pledged to work with Congress and private companies to provide developing countries with $ 100 billion to tackle climate change.
The American president noted that for the first time in 20 years the United States is not waging a war, and again promised to look to the future, not the past. “The United States will compete with other countries, it will do it with diligence and will lead with our values ??and our strength,” he said, reassuring the audience that Washington does not want to return to the era of global conflicts and confrontations like the Cold War. “Let me tell you straight: I am not indifferent about the future that we want for the world. The future belongs to those who uphold human dignity, not trample it. For those who realize the potential of their people, and do not strangle them, ”summed up the American head of state, noting that democracy lives in protesters, journalists and women activists of countries like Syria, Cuba, Zambia and Belarus. However, he admitted
Finally, Joe Biden made it clear that the goals are clear, the objectives are set, and it’s time to get down to work together. “Ladies and gentlemen, we can no longer waste time. Let’s get to work. Let’s make our future better. We can do this, we can, ”he proclaimed from one of the world’s highest stands.
The UN General Assembly became, among other things, one of the first large-scale events in New York, which is still experiencing the coronavirus epidemic: on average, 1.8 thousand cases of infection are detected in the city every week per week. Traffic jams have returned with life in the city: the New York police are asking residents to switch to public transport or bicycles, since usually the speed in the area of ??the UN headquarters drops to 6.5 km / h on the days of the General Assembly meeting.
Joe Biden’s speech undoubtedly attracted public attention, but the main hit of the General Assembly was another performance – by the South Korean group BTS.
The legendary performers sang the song “Permission to Dance” at the UN headquarters (more than 10 million people watched the video per day), and then performed in front of the whole world. Seven pop stars urged not to consider the current generation of young people “lost” due to the coronavirus epidemic, and also asked everyone to get vaccinated. Their speech was watched live by about 1 million people, about an hour after its end, there were less than 50 thousand viewers on the YouTube channel.