New York in the spotlight as UNGA begins

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Sep 17, 2023 View in browser   By Suzanne Lynch Presented by Philip Morris International POLITICO’s Global Insider is morphing this week into UNGA Playbook, an exclusive seven-edition series spotlighting the world stage at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. But that's just the start! We're thrilled to announce the upcoming evolution of this newsletter into POLITICO’s Global Playbook. This premier pop-up newsletter, authored by Suzanne Lynch, is an insider's look at the pivotal gatherings and moments shaping global policy, politics, and power. Up next: The frontlines of COP28 from Dubai in November. Stay tuned! Follow Suzanne on X | Send tips to slynch@politico.eu Hey there! Suzanne Lynch here coming to you from New York. where the city is braced for the usual craziness of the High-level week of the U.N. General Assembly — the annual gathering where some of the world’s most powerful leaders (and their entourages) descend on the city. I’m thrilled to be anchoring this U.N. Playbook and to be bringing you some exciting coverage of some of the world’s biggest global moments over the coming months. I’m based in Brussels where I lead EU coverage for POLITICO. I’m also a previous Washington correspondent, where I covered the White House and the U.S. political scene during the tumultuous Donald Trump years. Over the coming months, I will be crisscrossing the globe to bring you up to speed on what you need to know from the world’s big global events. Stay tuned for more. WHY THIS WEEK IS DIFFERENT: Yes, it’s the U.N. General Assembly, but this week is about much more than that. There is the usual plethora of off-diary events taking place across the city as think tanks, foundations and nonprofits vie for face time with some of the A-listers in town (we’ll be there, of course). But this is a meatier UNGA than usual. The U.N. is convening a Sustainable Development Goals summit (Monday), a Global Finance Summit (Wednesday), and three high-level meetings on health scattered throughout the week. Not to mention a special meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday on Ukraine. And of course, there’s the in-person appearance by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — his first visit to the U.N. since the war started. WHO’S IN/WHO’S OUT ROLL CALL: Some of the main power players we’ll be following include … Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; U.S. President Joe Biden; Japan’s Fumio Kishida; German Chancellor Olaf Scholz; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; South African President Cyril Ramaphosa; Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu; European Council President Charles Michel; Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg; His Holiness Pope Francis (well, virtually … He’s due to speak via video link at the Clinton Global Initiative 2023 meeting, Monday). BETTER THINGS TO DO: French President Emmanuel Macron; British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi; President of the UAE Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Chinese President Xi Jinping; Russian President Vladimir Putin (though being subject to an ICC warrant for his arrest could have something to do with it …). KEEP THEM GUESSING: One unknown is Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi (U.S. Republicans are furious that he has been invited, so it’s not certain if he’ll show). But all signs today were suggesting that he will attend. It’s also not clear who will speak on behalf of Gabon or Niger at this year’s event, given the recent coups.   A message from Philip Morris International: Worldwide, an estimated 1 billion people still smoke. Let’s change that. It’s time to try a more inclusive and innovative approach that’s been proven in several countries and has the potential to significantly accelerate a decline in smoking. For adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, switching to a smoke-free product is a pragmatic option that can have a positive impact on both individual and public health. See how at PMI.com/Rethink   UN-FATIGUE OR THE RISE OF MULTILATERALISM? FROM DELHI WITH LOVE: I’m just back from the G20 summit in New Delhi where India wrapped up its year at the helm of the international forum last weekend. Key takeaway? The rise of an increasingly confident tier of non-Western and developing countries that are playing a more assertive role in global diplomacy. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and South Africa have been flexing their diplomatic muscles when it comes to acting as power brokers in the war in Ukraine — a move welcomed by Kyiv. Crucially, the West is quietly playing along. COOPERATION AT WHAT COST: The G20 leaders signed off on a summit declaration on Ukraine, but omitted direct criticism of Russia for invading its neighbor. Essentially, the G7 and Western leaders opted to give Moscow a free pass in an attempt to save the G20, given the threats to the forum’s future. A big difference at this week’s U.N. gathering: While Ukraine wasn’t invited to the G20, Zelenskky will be the star attraction in New York, making it much more difficult for Kyiv’s allies to go soft on Moscow. THE UN’S LEGITIMACY PROBLEM: As leaders prepare to meet, there’s already lots of chatter about the U.N.’s legitimacy. Of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, only one — the United States — has bothered to send its leader, as POLITICO’s Nahal Toosi reports. (France’s Macron is preparing for a visit by British King Charles and will be welcoming the pope to Marseilles next weekend, while Britain’s Sunak has opted to give UNGA a miss, despite it being his first since taking office — perhaps a sign of domestic worries over poor polling numbers.) BECAUSE IT’S WORTH IT: But despite its flaws, the U.N. still has a significant role to play, says María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, former president of the General Assembly. “Regardless of the criticism — and it’s fair criticism — that the U.N. is not doing enough, that it needs urgent reform and rejuvenation, it still is the forum that is most international, that brings together the most leaders. That gives it traction,” she told me as this week’s gathering kicks off. SHIFTING ALLIANCES: Espinosa also points to the changing power dynamics that were evident at last week’s G20 and beyond. “There is an increasing understanding that the world is not a bipolar world anymore. A very vibrant multipolarity is emerging — more a polycentric configuration. It’s sometimes easy to slip into North versus South, East against West. But it’s much more complex than that. You look at the new BRICS configuration, the new members of the G20.” Now, there is a “variable configuration of power going on,” she says, depending on the subject. LATIN AMERICAN VOICE: Espinosa, a former minister of Ecuador, also wants to see a more assertive Latin America. “What I’m seeing is a constructive envy of the power and the voice that the African Union has gained, for example in climate discussions. When it comes to finance and trade, for example, we don’t see this monolithic push from Latin America. There are a lot of internal divisions.” WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK  SPEED DATING FOR POLITICOS: UNGA offers world leaders a unique chance to grab one-on-one time with fellow political VIPs. Here are some of the more significant get-togethers that could happen this week on the sidelines. — Meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. — Meeting of foreign ministers of the “Quad” — India, Australia, United States and Japan. — Meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and … anyone, given his persona non grata status with most Western powers. — A G7 foreign ministers’ meeting. — Will Biden show up to the Sustainable Development Goals event as rumored? He’s in town from tonight … — The African Union. After the African Union was admitted into the G20, is Africa having its moment? We’ll be keeping a close eye on the agendas of African leaders this week. — Topic of discussion: Further help for Morocco and Libya. Expect more pledges for aid this week in New York after the devastating earthquakes and floods in North Africa — part of the real-world, humanitarian aspects of the U.N.’s work. Here’s Nahal Toosi on the relationships to watch this week.   A message from Philip Morris International:   LESSONS IN LOGISTICS SHOWING ’EM HOW IT’S DONE (or not …): The streets around U.N. headquarters were jammed with people on Friday, lining up to pick up their official badges — a lesson on how not to organize a massive logistical project from an organization that is supposed to specialize in, well … running massive logistical projects. Delegates, journalists and interns queued for up to three hours in the crammed Pass and Identification Unit, adorned with “social distancing” signs, out-of-date Wi-Fi passwords and no air-conditioning. Your correspondent got through in two hours, and was happy to see the smiling faces of others high-fiving each other as they emerged, clutching their shiny new badges with delight. GETTING UNDERWAY PRE-MEETING MEETINGS: VIPs have begun arriving in New York as indicated by the rows of blacked-out SUVs snaking along First Avenue. Expect lots of traffic disruption, with Biden due to touch down in Marine One at the Wall Street Landing Zone in lower Manhattan this evening around 7 p.m. local time. DINING TIP: Lines are already forming at the Vienna Café in the U.N. building as delegates arrive for side meetings ahead of tomorrow’s Sustainable Development Goals summit. Top tip: grab a bite at the Café de la Paix, hidden away in the southern corner of the Secretariat Building in the south annex. HAPPENING TONIGHT: The International Peace Institute will hold a ministerial dinner on the Middle East peace process, co-hosted by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and IPI’s President Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. More than 30 ministers are expected to attend, including from Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and Ireland. CLIMATE MARCH: The “March to End Fossil Fuels” protest is underway in Manhattan today ahead of the major Climate Ambition Summit on Wednesday and to coincide with NYC Climate Week kicking off today. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is among those expected to attend, and traffic was already jammed in mid-town just blocks from the U.N. this afternoon SDG IN PRACTICE: Take some time before the craziness of UNGA fully begins, to browse through the stands in the General Assembly Building showcasing 12 “High-Impact Initiatives” that have been actually making real-world progress in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. Projects include the Spotlight Initiative, which aims to eliminate violence against women and girls, and Transforming4Trade, which promotes a multiyear approach to economic development. GRIDLOCK ALERT: The New York Department of Transportation has issued a “gridlock alert” for September 18 to September 22 inclusive due to the anticipated traffic and security measures around UNGA. JUST WALK: Fun fact: the NYDOT has calculated that average vehicle speeds in Midtown Manhattan during U.N. General Assembly week are the slowest of the year: less than 4 miles per hour (compared to an average of between 4 and 6 miles per hour). NEW TO UNGA?: Paul Adamson interviews Richard Gowan, U.N. director of the International Crisis Group, in this podcast, “Inside the UN General Assembly.” Thanks to Nahal Toosi; editors Emma Anderson and Heidi Vogt and producer Raymond Rapada.   A message from Philip Morris International: What’s being done to end smoking? When you look around the world, the answer is not nearly enough. There’s no doubt that quitting is the best choice. But for adults who don’t quit, smoke-free products provide nicotine without burning and are a better choice for those who would otherwise continue to smoke. We already see significant health benefits in Sweden, a country that has actively embraced smoke-free alternatives. Look also at Japan. Smoking rates in both countries have rapidly declined because regulations allow adult smokers access to smoke-free products. Why aren’t other countries adopting this approach? Today’s political and cultural landscape deters many governments and regulators from following the evidence. This inaction prolongs the life of cigarettes and risks shortening the lives of smokers across the globe. Let’s change that. See how at PMI.com/Rethink     Follow us

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