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| UN general assembly: Ban says 'no military solution' to Syria war – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.33pm BST14:33 | |
| Ban complains about “democratic backsliding” and says that too many leaders try and stay in power beyond “constitutional limits”. He says that these leaders typically arrange petitions expressing “the will of the people” to justify their refusal to leave power. | |
| He’s not naming any names, though. | |
| 2.26pm BST14:26 | |
| Ban mentions Syria and says five countries hold the key to ending the war there. He names the Russian Federation, US, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey. “As long as one side will not compromise with the other, it’s futile to expect changes on the ground,” Ban says. | |
| He adds that most of the casualties in Syria - 250,000 plus since the civil war began 2011 - are being caused by air strikes. “Let me be clear. There is no military solution to this conflict,” he says. | |
| Updated at 2.28pm BST | |
| 2.24pm BST14:24 | |
| Ban is now talking about the world’s refugee crisis. He says people are “on the move as never before” and adds: “Suffering today is at heights not seen in a generation.” The UN secretary general estimates that 100 million people require immediate humanitarian assistance.” At least 60 million have been forced to flee their home or their countries, Ban says. | |
| The UN has asked for $20bn to meet this year’s needs, six times the level a decade ago. He says member states have been “generous” but urges them - in particular Europe - to do more. He also says “we shouldn’t be building fences” - a reference to Hungary’s decision to erect razor wire on its borders with Serbia and Croatia. | |
| 2.15pm BST14:15 | |
| Ban says the UN’s mission is to end extreme poverty by 2030, and to ensure “a life of dignity for all”. He says: “What counts now is translating promises on pieces of paper into action on the ground”. He then segues from English to French. | |
| Updated at 2.17pm BST | |
| 2.09pm BST14:09 | |
| Ban Ki-moon opens 70th session of UN general assembly | |
| And we’re off! UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon is speaking. He’s showing the delegates a film called “Fanfare for all People”. Ban says the UN is the “indispensable home and hope of all humankind”. | |
| Updated at 2.29pm BST | |
| 2.05pm BST14:05 | |
| US secretary of state John Kerry has just arrived. He’s had a busy morning, starting with a meeting on Syria at 7.30am, and followed by talks at 9am with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. | |
| 2.03pm BST14:03 | |
| President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil will address the UN assembly shortly as first speaker. By custom, Brazil always goes first. The New York Times explains that this tradition goes back to the earliest days of the United Nations: | |
| Lore has it that this distinction was given to Brazil as a consolation prize after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s proposal to make Brazil a permanent member of the Security Council fell through. | |
| In theory, each leader gets 15 minutes to talk, with the sessions running from 9am to 1pm, and from 3pm to 9pm. In practice, many leaders go on too long. Typically the morning session eats into the lunch-break, and the afternoon meetings can run well into the night. | |
| Updated at 2.06pm BST | |
| 1.46pm BST13:46 | 1.46pm BST13:46 |
| Ahead of Vladimir Putin’s speech, Russia’s pro-Kremlin web army is tweeting the hashtag #PutinPeacemaker. One image accompanying it shows an Arnold Schwarzenegger-like Putin putting Obama in a headlock and tugging his ear. | Ahead of Vladimir Putin’s speech, Russia’s pro-Kremlin web army is tweeting the hashtag #PutinPeacemaker. One image accompanying it shows an Arnold Schwarzenegger-like Putin putting Obama in a headlock and tugging his ear. |
| The Russian internet army is pushing #PutinPeacemaker ahead of his #UNGA speech. And this cartoon, for some reason. pic.twitter.com/7vBTZJtUMO | The Russian internet army is pushing #PutinPeacemaker ahead of his #UNGA speech. And this cartoon, for some reason. pic.twitter.com/7vBTZJtUMO |
| Putin’s many opponents, meanwhile, have poured scorn on the hashtag. The Kremlin parody account @DarthPutinKGB has this to say: | Putin’s many opponents, meanwhile, have poured scorn on the hashtag. The Kremlin parody account @DarthPutinKGB has this to say: |
| If i'm late for my #UNGA speech it's cos i'm at the buffet filling up on food banned in Russia. | If i'm late for my #UNGA speech it's cos i'm at the buffet filling up on food banned in Russia. |
| 1.44pm BST13:44 | 1.44pm BST13:44 |
| While we’re waiting for Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff to kick off the speeches, why not remind yourself of how dramatic Unga can be. Julian Borger has presented a video looking back at some of the most memorable moments from the lectern. They include Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signalling an end to the cold war; Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez describing George Bush as ‘the devil’; and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saying the US government orchestrated the 9/11 attacks. | While we’re waiting for Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff to kick off the speeches, why not remind yourself of how dramatic Unga can be. Julian Borger has presented a video looking back at some of the most memorable moments from the lectern. They include Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signalling an end to the cold war; Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez describing George Bush as ‘the devil’; and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saying the US government orchestrated the 9/11 attacks. |
| Updated at 1.49pm BST | Updated at 1.49pm BST |
| 1.37pm BST13:37 | 1.37pm BST13:37 |
| Richard Gowan, a senior policy advisor at the European Council on Foreign Relations, offers some frank words of advice to EU leaders attending today’s UN assembly. | Richard Gowan, a senior policy advisor at the European Council on Foreign Relations, offers some frank words of advice to EU leaders attending today’s UN assembly. |
| The EU is in dismal shape at the moment, he suggests. But there is a silver lining: the next UN secretary general – Ban Ki-moon steps down at the end of next year – could be a European: | The EU is in dismal shape at the moment, he suggests. But there is a silver lining: the next UN secretary general – Ban Ki-moon steps down at the end of next year – could be a European: |
| “Right now, the UN is a pretty miserable place to be a European leader. Putin overshadows you. The refugee crisis and Libya make you look mean and weak. The US wants you to send your soldiers on peacekeeping operations that you mistrust. But if you somehow make a good impression at the general assembly, people may start to say you should be the next secretary-general. | “Right now, the UN is a pretty miserable place to be a European leader. Putin overshadows you. The refugee crisis and Libya make you look mean and weak. The US wants you to send your soldiers on peacekeeping operations that you mistrust. But if you somehow make a good impression at the general assembly, people may start to say you should be the next secretary-general. |
| “At the very least, that will be good for ego. But after this dose of the nasty reality of UN politics would you really want the job?” | “At the very least, that will be good for ego. But after this dose of the nasty reality of UN politics would you really want the job?” |
| Updated at 1.38pm BST | Updated at 1.38pm BST |
| 1.27pm BST13:27 | 1.27pm BST13:27 |
| You can follow our two correspondents in New York reporting from the UN general assembly – diplomatic editor @JulianBorger and @ChrisMcGreal. Our Moscow bureau chief Shaun Walker, @ShaunWalker7, will give instant reaction to Vladimir Putin’s speech, while our correspondent covering all things Iran, Saeed Kamali Dehghan, @SaeedKD, will write on Rouhani. | You can follow our two correspondents in New York reporting from the UN general assembly – diplomatic editor @JulianBorger and @ChrisMcGreal. Our Moscow bureau chief Shaun Walker, @ShaunWalker7, will give instant reaction to Vladimir Putin’s speech, while our correspondent covering all things Iran, Saeed Kamali Dehghan, @SaeedKD, will write on Rouhani. |
| Just to get you in the mood, here’s a fun vodka drinking game compiled by the Washington Post to get you set for Putin’s address. | Just to get you in the mood, here’s a fun vodka drinking game compiled by the Washington Post to get you set for Putin’s address. |
| Sit back, pull open a bottle of Russian Standard, and enjoy the ride … | Sit back, pull open a bottle of Russian Standard, and enjoy the ride … |
| Would suggest vodka shot for each mention of @ARothWP Putin UNGA speech bingo but fear we'd all be dead by 10 mins in pic.twitter.com/OmTs6DoKf9 | Would suggest vodka shot for each mention of @ARothWP Putin UNGA speech bingo but fear we'd all be dead by 10 mins in pic.twitter.com/OmTs6DoKf9 |
| Updated at 1.42pm BST | Updated at 1.42pm BST |
| 1.26pm BST13:26 | 1.26pm BST13:26 |
| Here is the full running order of the UN general assembly’s general debate (that’s quite a mouthful), which runs until 3 October . Today’s speakers are in the left column. | Here is the full running order of the UN general assembly’s general debate (that’s quite a mouthful), which runs until 3 October . Today’s speakers are in the left column. |
| If you can’t read that rather small image, here’s a text list: | |
| Morning session | |
| Afternoon session | |
| Updated at 2.01pm BST | |
| 1.18pm BST13:18 | 1.18pm BST13:18 |
| You can watch live coverage from the UN general assembly on the UN’s webTV channel. The speeches haven’t started yet but UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has arrived, and other leaders and delegations are walking in. | You can watch live coverage from the UN general assembly on the UN’s webTV channel. The speeches haven’t started yet but UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has arrived, and other leaders and delegations are walking in. |
| 1.14pm BST13:14 | 1.14pm BST13:14 |
| Mark Rice-Oxley | Mark Rice-Oxley |
| This year’s Unga (rhymes with ‘hunger’) comes ahead of the UN’s 70th birthday next month, a pivotal moment that is shaping up as a make-or-break for reform of the creaking world body. | This year’s Unga (rhymes with ‘hunger’) comes ahead of the UN’s 70th birthday next month, a pivotal moment that is shaping up as a make-or-break for reform of the creaking world body. |
| The Guardian’s series on UN failings – such as its peacekeeping missions, its impasse over Syria and its dilatory response to Ebola – has intensified calls for wholesale changes to the way the ageing institution organises itself and the world around it. | The Guardian’s series on UN failings – such as its peacekeeping missions, its impasse over Syria and its dilatory response to Ebola – has intensified calls for wholesale changes to the way the ageing institution organises itself and the world around it. |
| And if you are sitting back following the speeches and wondering ‘what does it all mean for ME’? we have devised a cheeky 30-second tool for you to answer that very question. | And if you are sitting back following the speeches and wondering ‘what does it all mean for ME’? we have devised a cheeky 30-second tool for you to answer that very question. |
| Updated at 1.19pm BST | Updated at 1.19pm BST |
| 1.00pm BST13:00 | 1.00pm BST13:00 |
| Welcome to our UN general assembly live blog | Welcome to our UN general assembly live blog |
| Luke Harding | Luke Harding |
| Welcome to our live coverage of ‘Massive Monday’, as a host of world leaders prepare to speak at the 70th UN general assembly in New York. Over the best part of a week, the heads of state – some 150 of them – will argue, mingle, and debate, addressing a global and a domestic audience. This morning’s heavyweight session features speeches from President Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, Iran’s Hassan Rouhani and France’s Francois Hollande. | Welcome to our live coverage of ‘Massive Monday’, as a host of world leaders prepare to speak at the 70th UN general assembly in New York. Over the best part of a week, the heads of state – some 150 of them – will argue, mingle, and debate, addressing a global and a domestic audience. This morning’s heavyweight session features speeches from President Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, Iran’s Hassan Rouhani and France’s Francois Hollande. |
| The most intriguing encounter takes place on the sidelines this evening, when Obama and Putin meet for the first time in nearly a year. It comes amid a fresh diplomatic push to resolve the war in Syria and a Russian military build-up inside the country apparently designed to shore up President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow’s faltering ally. | The most intriguing encounter takes place on the sidelines this evening, when Obama and Putin meet for the first time in nearly a year. It comes amid a fresh diplomatic push to resolve the war in Syria and a Russian military build-up inside the country apparently designed to shore up President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow’s faltering ally. |
| In his speech this morning – his first to the general assembly since 2005 – Putin will present Russia as an indispensable world power. He is likely to argue that only Assad can defeat Islamic State “terrorists”. On Sunday David Cameron signalled new flexibility, dropping his insistence that peace in Syria can only be achieved if Assad steps down. | In his speech this morning – his first to the general assembly since 2005 – Putin will present Russia as an indispensable world power. He is likely to argue that only Assad can defeat Islamic State “terrorists”. On Sunday David Cameron signalled new flexibility, dropping his insistence that peace in Syria can only be achieved if Assad steps down. |
| Putin is also keen to move the conversation on from Ukraine, and from Russia’s covert war in the east of the country and its 2014 annexation of Crimea. The US and EU responded by imposing sanctions. The White House says Obama will raise Ukraine in his face to face with Putin. The Kremlin says the subject will only come up if time allows. | Putin is also keen to move the conversation on from Ukraine, and from Russia’s covert war in the east of the country and its 2014 annexation of Crimea. The US and EU responded by imposing sanctions. The White House says Obama will raise Ukraine in his face to face with Putin. The Kremlin says the subject will only come up if time allows. |
| There will be no summit today between Obama and Rouhani. But this week’s 70th anniversary session comes after a qualitative improvement in relations between Tehran and Washington and a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme clinched in July. Rouhani has said Iran is willing to free three Americans held in its prisons in a swap for Iranian citizens held for breaking sanctions. | There will be no summit today between Obama and Rouhani. But this week’s 70th anniversary session comes after a qualitative improvement in relations between Tehran and Washington and a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme clinched in July. Rouhani has said Iran is willing to free three Americans held in its prisons in a swap for Iranian citizens held for breaking sanctions. |
| The US president will meet Cuba’s leader Raúl Castro, who will be addressing the UN general assembly for the first time. Relations were normalised this year after a 54-year hiatus, with the US embassy in Havana re-opening in August. A scheduled handshake between Castro and Obama will show off the virtue of diplomacy. | The US president will meet Cuba’s leader Raúl Castro, who will be addressing the UN general assembly for the first time. Relations were normalised this year after a 54-year hiatus, with the US embassy in Havana re-opening in August. A scheduled handshake between Castro and Obama will show off the virtue of diplomacy. |