UN General Assembly wraps final day with AI, climate, wars and next secretary general
The last day of the UN General Assembly focused on AI, climate change, the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global energy markets, and the choice of the next UN secretary general.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The final day of the UN General Assembly ended with leaders and diplomats focusing on artificial intelligence, climate change, the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the effect on global energy markets. The discussions took place against continued geopolitical uncertainty and behind-the-scenes attention on who will replace Antonio Guterres as UN Secretary General. Guterres will leave the role at the end of the year.
The gathering drew high-level attendance, and the outgoing secretary general's tenure and the process for choosing his successor were part of the wider debate about the UN's role. Kishore Mahbubani, a former Singapore ambassador to the United Nations, said the past week showed the UN remains indispensable. He described it as the only place where all countries meet and discuss issues with each other. He added that despite frequent negative coverage, the UN is going through a difficult phase because of shifts in power among great powers, but it will not disappear.
Mahbubani was critical of Guterres's leadership. He said Guterres could have done more, for example by building stronger European support for the UN, and failed to do so. On the selection of the next secretary general, he said great powers do not want a strong, dynamic, capable, driven or ambitious person in the role. He claimed the key requirement is to be spineless, calling this a tragedy. He argued public opinion should swing against that great-power consensus and that the time has come for a strong, dynamic leader.
The final day also highlighted the range of issues on the UN agenda. Those included AI and climate change as well as the Middle East and Ukraine wars, with attention to how those conflicts affect global energy markets. The question of leadership at the UN remains central as Guterres prepares to step down. The former ambassador pointed to the continued presence of world leaders, including US President Trump, as a sign that the UN still matters even when it is dismissed as irrelevant or unnecessary.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| A former Singapore ambassador said the UN remains indispensable as the only forum where all countries meet and discuss issues. | |
| Antonio Guterres will leave as UN Secretary General at the end of the year, with attention focused on his successor. | |
| The final day covered artificial intelligence, climate change, the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and global energy markets. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News led with the final day's broad agenda: AI, climate change, the Middle East, Ukraine and energy markets. It then moved to the behind-the-scenes race to replace Antonio Guterres, using a long interview with former Singapore ambassador Kishore Mahbubani. The tone was reflective and critical of great-power limits on UN leadership, with little detail on individual national statements or the substance of the AI and climate debates.
- “Today, the gathering of leaders and diplomats has focused on a range of topics, including artificial intelligence, climate change, wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the impact they're having on global energy markets behind the scenes.”
- “There's also been growing focus on who will replace outgoing Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who will leave the role at the end of this year.”
- “Unfortunately, the key requirement for becoming Secretary General of the UN is that you have to be spineless.”
Who was on air
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- 05:23 BST
Kishore Mahbubani, former Singapore Ambassador to the United Nations
“Well, let's talk to Kishore Mahbubani, who's former Singapore Ambassador to the United Nations.”
BBC News · Mon 28 Sept
Broadcast Timeline
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