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Theresa May gives debut address to UN general assembly – live Theresa May gives debut address to UN general assembly – live
(35 minutes later)
10.19pm BST
22:19
“Permit me to deviate from the written statement to address the Istraeli people,” Sisi says, suddenly bringing his frantic reading delivery to a halt, then speaking much more slowly.
We have a true opportunity, a real opportunity, to write a bright page in history; to move towards peace. The Egyptian experience is wonderful and unique and can be followed by establishing a Palestinian state, side by side with the Israeli state, that preserves safety and security for the Palestinians and safety and security for the Israelis, prosperity and peace for both.
10.14pm BST
22:14
Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, president of Egypt, is now speaking.
The world has become a global village as a result of the communications revolutions - however, we continue to see another facet of globalism, one that has produced a number of economic challenges. Globalism has been linked to a rise in poverty, the rise in the inequality gap ... perhaps these constitute the biggest reason for the international community to work diligently ... and meet the needs of their people.
“The Egyptian people have succeeded in enforcing their will ... safeguarding society from sliding into anarchy,” he says.
10.03pm BST
22:03
Patrick Kingsley
A coalition of more than 30 countries unveiled a series of concrete responses to the refugee crisis on Tuesday, giving refugees a glimmer of hope in a week in which world leaders gathered at the UN summit in New York have otherwise failed to offer direct action on refugee issues, reports Patrick Kingsley from the UN leaders’ summit on refugees.
Barack Obama announced that the US-led coalition had collectively agreed to roughly double resettlement places for refugees, increase humanitarian aid for refugees by $4.5 billion, provide education to one million more refugee children, and potentially improve access to legal work for another million adults.
Full details were not disclosed, but the move constituted the most concrete set of refugee measures at the annual UN summit. On Monday, refugee advocates were left disappointed by the announcement of a non-binding declaration that upheld world leaders’ pre-existing responsibilities for refugees, but offered little in terms of direct commitments.
But the mood changed on Tuesday, with 18 developed countries announcing plans to increase legal access to refugees, 17 developing countries pledging to increase refugees’ access to education, and 15 claiming that they would take various measures that could help to expand refugees’ access to work.
The western countries included those that are well-known for their generosity to refugees, including Germany and Sweden, as well as those, such as Australia, who are often criticised for their treatment of asylum seekers. Argentina and Portugal were among the countries who pledged to start resettlement programmes for the first time. Commenting on the relative success of his initiative, Obama said: “We’re going to have to be honest: it’s still not enough – not sufficient for a crisis of this magnitude.” But he added: “I hope this is a beginning.”
Leaders from the world’s major refugee-hosting nations hailed the pledges, but warned that they meant little if they were not carried out. Most pledges made at a similar summit in London in February have not been fulfilled.
“The refugee crisis requires not just [pledged] commitment but follow-through,” said King Abdullah of Jordan, a country that hosts more Syrian refugees than all the countries in the EU, which has a population that is 50 times bigger.
9.58pm BST
21:58
David Miliband is at the refugees’ summit:
Refugees are....Olympians. Nice to see President Obama deferring/listening to Yusra Mardini. pic.twitter.com/ClsZnzwtw8
Obama: "Refugees can make us stronger". pic.twitter.com/ySKSfb36ZQ
President Erdogan emphasizes importance of citizenship as ultimate destination for refugees pic.twitter.com/FY70UOLADJ
9.49pm BST
21:49
Over at the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees, president Obama is taking the lead, upping the US’s number of refugees it is pledged to take:
Obama just committed to take 110k refugees in 2017 (60% increase on 2015) despite toxicity of US politics.That is what leadership looks like
9.45pm BST
21:45
More strikes against the Security Council, this time from South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, who calls for its reform “in order to ensure the representation of Africa”.
“One billion people cannot continue to be denied a voice in this manner,” Zuma says, to applause from the chamber.
9.28pm BST9.28pm BST
21:2821:28
The UN Leaders’ Summit on refugees is about to begin.The UN Leaders’ Summit on refugees is about to begin.
The Guardian’s Patrick Kingsley is on the scene and will bring you more detail from the event as it unfolds, but politicians have squandered a chance to radically rethink the treaties and organisations that govern the world’s handling of refugees, the director of Oxford University’s Refugee Studies Centre told Kingsley earlier.The Guardian’s Patrick Kingsley is on the scene and will bring you more detail from the event as it unfolds, but politicians have squandered a chance to radically rethink the treaties and organisations that govern the world’s handling of refugees, the director of Oxford University’s Refugee Studies Centre told Kingsley earlier.
Interviewed here in New York, Alexander Betts said that the refugee system needs to be rethought in the same way that the international monetary system was reworked in the 1970s.Interviewed here in New York, Alexander Betts said that the refugee system needs to be rethought in the same way that the international monetary system was reworked in the 1970s.
“The refugee regime was created in the 1950s for Europe and the early Cold War era,” says Betts. “Yes it’s been adapted incrementally but we’ve never had a moment of systematic reflection.”“The refugee regime was created in the 1950s for Europe and the early Cold War era,” says Betts. “Yes it’s been adapted incrementally but we’ve never had a moment of systematic reflection.”
Betts adds:Betts adds:
“In other areas like the international monetary system, when there was a big crisis as we saw in 1971, reform took place. 2016 should be the refugee system’s 1971. It should involve reflection on our legal model, our organisational model, and our operational model – and that’s what the political capital that we’ve invested in these two days should have gone towards.“In other areas like the international monetary system, when there was a big crisis as we saw in 1971, reform took place. 2016 should be the refugee system’s 1971. It should involve reflection on our legal model, our organisational model, and our operational model – and that’s what the political capital that we’ve invested in these two days should have gone towards.
But as it is, I think there are achievements, but I’m not sure these achievements reach the level of ambition that the international community should have had in response to the refugee crisis.But as it is, I think there are achievements, but I’m not sure these achievements reach the level of ambition that the international community should have had in response to the refugee crisis.
9.16pm BST9.16pm BST
21:1621:16
Poland joins the UK in announcing that it has begun the process of ratifying the Paris climate agreements, Duda says, invoking the new beginning of the so-called “anthropocene” era.Poland joins the UK in announcing that it has begun the process of ratifying the Paris climate agreements, Duda says, invoking the new beginning of the so-called “anthropocene” era.
9.10pm BST9.10pm BST
21:1021:10
The afternoon plenary session is underway. Now speaking is Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland.The afternoon plenary session is underway. Now speaking is Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland.
Poland’s ambassador to the UK has expressed concern about xenophobic attacks on Polish nationals which have begun occurring in Britain following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union. It is not known whether Duda will address the issue in today’s speech.Poland’s ambassador to the UK has expressed concern about xenophobic attacks on Polish nationals which have begun occurring in Britain following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union. It is not known whether Duda will address the issue in today’s speech.
8.51pm BST8.51pm BST
20:5120:51
“We will refuse to give into pressure to give in to pressures for easy votes” Trudeau says.“We will refuse to give into pressure to give in to pressures for easy votes” Trudeau says.
There is a choice to be made. Strong, diverse countires like Canada didn’t happen by accident, and won’t continue without effort. Every single day, we need to choose hope over fear, and diversity over division. Fear has never created a single job. Our citizens, the nearly 7.5 billion people we collectively serve, are better than the cynics and pessimists think they are. People want their problems solved, not exploited.There is a choice to be made. Strong, diverse countires like Canada didn’t happen by accident, and won’t continue without effort. Every single day, we need to choose hope over fear, and diversity over division. Fear has never created a single job. Our citizens, the nearly 7.5 billion people we collectively serve, are better than the cynics and pessimists think they are. People want their problems solved, not exploited.
“Canada is a modest country. We know we can’t solve these problems alone. We know it will be hard work. But we’re Canadian, and we’re here to help,” he concludes.“Canada is a modest country. We know we can’t solve these problems alone. We know it will be hard work. But we’re Canadian, and we’re here to help,” he concludes.
8.46pm BST8.46pm BST
20:4620:46
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is giving the final address of the morning session, switching between English and French.Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is giving the final address of the morning session, switching between English and French.
We need to create economic growth that is broadly shared, because a fair and successful world is a peaceful one. We need to focus on what brings us together, not on what divides us.We need to create economic growth that is broadly shared, because a fair and successful world is a peaceful one. We need to focus on what brings us together, not on what divides us.
In Canada, we see diversity as a source of strength.In Canada, we see diversity as a source of strength.
He says that in recent months Canadians “have opened their arms and hearts” to refugees fleeing the Syrian war, and “welcomed them as new Canadians”.He says that in recent months Canadians “have opened their arms and hearts” to refugees fleeing the Syrian war, and “welcomed them as new Canadians”.
8.40pm BST8.40pm BST
20:4020:40
May says the UK will ratify Paris climate change agreement this yearMay says the UK will ratify Paris climate change agreement this year
Rowena MasonRowena Mason
May also used her speech to give her first major commitment that Britain will continue to tackle climate change after leaving the EU, as she promised to ratify the Paris agreement by the end of the year.May also used her speech to give her first major commitment that Britain will continue to tackle climate change after leaving the EU, as she promised to ratify the Paris agreement by the end of the year.
The UK remained determined to “play our part in the international effort against climate change … In a demonstration of our commitment to the agreement reached in Paris, the UK will start its domestic procedures to enable ratification of the Paris agreement and complete these before the end of the year,” she said.The UK remained determined to “play our part in the international effort against climate change … In a demonstration of our commitment to the agreement reached in Paris, the UK will start its domestic procedures to enable ratification of the Paris agreement and complete these before the end of the year,” she said.
The UK was party to negotiations as part of the EU and will be expected to take on emissions reductions based on an EU-wide “burden-sharing” agreement, which is yet to be worked out, reports Rowena Mason.The UK was party to negotiations as part of the EU and will be expected to take on emissions reductions based on an EU-wide “burden-sharing” agreement, which is yet to be worked out, reports Rowena Mason.
May’s decision to speed up ratification will relieve green campaigners and charities amid worries that the new prime minister could start retreating from Britain’s position as a leader on tackling climate change after leaving the EU. She has rarely spoken about the subject in the past and was accused of a regressive step when she abolished the Department for Energy and Climate Change after taking office.May’s decision to speed up ratification will relieve green campaigners and charities amid worries that the new prime minister could start retreating from Britain’s position as a leader on tackling climate change after leaving the EU. She has rarely spoken about the subject in the past and was accused of a regressive step when she abolished the Department for Energy and Climate Change after taking office.
However, pressure on the prime minister to agree to ratify the deal intensified after China and the US made a joint declaration that they would do so earlier in the month.However, pressure on the prime minister to agree to ratify the deal intensified after China and the US made a joint declaration that they would do so earlier in the month.
A UK official said the prime minister’s announcement was “absolutely a reflection of her commitment to delivering on that international agreement where the UK has been at the forefront of efforts”.A UK official said the prime minister’s announcement was “absolutely a reflection of her commitment to delivering on that international agreement where the UK has been at the forefront of efforts”.
You can read the whole piece here.You can read the whole piece here.
UpdatedUpdated
at 8.47pm BSTat 8.47pm BST
8.36pm BST
20:36
“When the British people voted to leave the EU, they did not vote to turn inwards from our partners around the world,” May says. “They demanded action ... but that action must be more global, not less.”
Only we ... can act to ensure this great institution is as relevant to our future as to our past. So let us come together ... and work together to build a better, safer, and more prosperous world for generations to come.
8.32pm BST
20:32
“We should be clear that there is nothing wrong with going in search of a better life ... but countries must be able to exert control over their borders,” May says. She says there are three fundamental principles that need to be established for migration.
“First, we must make sure that refugees claim asylum in the first safe country they reach,” she says, adding that we should all do more to help those countries where refugees first arrive.
Second, she says, a distinction must be made between economic migrants and those fleeing violence.
And third, she reaffirms the declaration of human rights, saying that “nearly 70 years on we are presented with a new form of slavery” run by organised crime groups. “Trafficked and sold across borders, victims are forced into the kind of existence which is almost beyond imagination. Victims are held captive in squalid conditions and forced into sex and labour.”
8.26pm BST
20:26
May talks now about fighting extremism; she mentions the UK-led resolution on aviation security, on which the UN will vote later. “It is not enough merely to focus on violent extremism; we must focus on ... hate and fear in all their forms,” she continues.
“Across the world today there are 65m people displaced,” she says. “That is equivalent to the entire population of the United Kingdom.”
She calls for an end to the conflict in Syria.
8.19pm BST
20:19
“It is a great honour for me to address this assembly for the first time,” May starts.
She says that the UN began to “deliver security across the globe.” Some of the threats we face today are the same as those faced by the founders, she continues, but some are new - “global warming, international terrorism, and mass movement of unprecedented number of people.”
“As a new prime minister of the UK, my message is simple: the UK will be a strong, dependable partner internationally. ... we will continue to honour our commitment to spend 0.7 percent of our GDP on development.”
She says that the UK will continue to be “a steadfast member of the security council,” and condemns the bombing of the aid convoy in Syria yesterday.
She says, however, that those standing before the assembly must not forget that they serve their people at home, and that many have been left behind by globalization. “We need this, our United Nations, to forge a bold new multilateralism.”
8.14pm BST
20:14
Theresa May to speak now
Rowena Mason
It is the new prime minister’s second outing on the international stage after attending the G20 summit in China earlier this month, reports Rowena Mason.
She made a similar warning in Hangzhou about anti-globalisation sentiment, which has been linked to the rise of populist movements and leaders in many countries across the world, from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the US to the leftwing party Syriza in Greece.
May’s priority at both summits has also been to reassure world leaders that the UK is not turning away from the world because of the vote to leave the EU.
She will meet the presidents of Turkey and Egypt on Tuesday morning before having her second meeting in a fortnight with the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe. Their discussion comes after Tokyo warned at the G20 that companies could withdraw from the UK without more clarity about access to the single market and other benefits of the EU after Brexit.
On Monday night, May hosted a business reception at the consul general’s residence in New York for US companies such as Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Black Rock, IBM and Morgan Stanley in a bid to convince them that Britain remains a good place to invest.
May has attracted criticism at the summit for her proposals about refugees, after she suggested it was better to help those fleeing war in the first safe country they reach than to resettle them further away. She argued that the UN needed to help stop “mass uncontrolled migration of people” because it is dangerous, and asserted the right of countries to control their own borders.
Speaking before the summit, the prime minister also challenged the arguments for taking in more refugees than the total to which the UK has already committed.
Updated
at 8.44pm BST
8.04pm BST
20:04
Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, the prime minister of Fiji, is talking about February’s Cyclone Winston, as a harbinger of the ecological disaster that faces his island nation as global warming increases.
“If this is what awaits us as global warming increases, then god help us,” he says. “We are facing a nightmare scenario.”
Our message from the Pacific is this: the two degree cap is not enough. We want the world to go one better and embrace the 1.5 degree cap. ... but as a first step, I appeal to you all to ratify the Paris agreement, and turn our backs on the coalition of the selfish which would rather see the Pacific nations submerged than change their lifestyles.
Updated
at 8.08pm BST
7.58pm BST
19:58
In a dramatic display of Latin America’s political divisions, the delegations of Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua walked out during Brazilian President Michel Temer’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly, according to the Associated Press.
Venezuela’s U.N. Ambassador Rafael Ramirez told the AP today that Temer is “an illegitimate president, the product of a coup d’etat. We do not recognize him.”
Ecuadorean diplomat Carola Iniguez says her country’s delegation walked out “to protest the political situation in Brazil.”
Temer became Brazil’s president following the ouster of Dilma Rousseff by the Senate over accusations of fiscal mismanagement.
In his speech, Temer defended the impeachment process, insisting it was an example of democracy at work. He said: “impeaching a president is certainly not a trivial matter in a democratic regime. But there is no democracy without rule of law without rules applicable to all, including the most powerful. This is what Brazil is showing the world.”
7.52pm BST
19:52
Now Erdoğan is calling for reform of the Security Council. “What about the other countries around the world? We ignore them,” he says. “The representative nature of the security council should be effective so that the security council could be more just and fair.”
7.44pm BST
19:44
Erdoğan says that Turkey is now home to 2.7m refugees, and he hits out at countries who turn refugees away.
“The rest of the world may not but we will keep on admitting them, because they are human being. We will keep our doors open, and we will keep our doors open in the future.”
The international community has failed its humanitarian values.
It is notable that Erdoğan is mentioning Kurdish separatist groups such as the PKK in the same lists as groups like Isis.
This is a fraught topic; Turkey is an ally of the coalition against Isis, but so is Kurdistan, the autonomous northern region in Iraq that is home to the de facto Kurdish state - but Turkey is also home to a large number of Kurds, and the Turkish military has often engaged in fierce fighting with Kurdish separatists within south-eastern Turkey.
7.35pm BST
19:35
“Within the first quarter of the 21st century, mankind has reached the peak in science, economy, development and health,” Erdoğan begins. “However, this achievement conceals a dark face. In Syria, Iraq, and counties in the grip of terrorism around the world, hundreds of thousands of children, young, and elderly, are killed. Refugees running from oppression face derading treatment in many european cities.”
“It’s nigh time to show leadership with a sense of responsibility in addressing these problems in a determined fashion.”
Now he turns to the coup, which he describes as being orchestrated by a “terrorist organisation”.
This coup attempt was successfully repelled by our nation, protected heroically her democracy, govt, freedoms, future and const order. That’s why I take pride in my nation as my nation defeated this heinous coup attempt by risking their lives, and for a period of 29 days they never abandoned the squares around Turkey.
They threw their bodies in front of the tanks. They showed a very noble stance. If I stand here today before you it is thanks to our nation’s brave stance.