UN General Assembly 2015 News: Opening highlights Syria, ISIS, and refugee crises
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly began yesterday with a greater focus on the war in Syria, the growing power of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and the migrant crisis that stemmed from the problem.
During the 70th annual session of the UN General Assembly, secretary general Ban Ki-moon emphasized the people's "impatience with leadership" as a major problem and called on leaders to hold on to their position according to what their constitution dictates. He also said the countries Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and the United States have the keys to peace in war-torn Syria, according to Today Online.
In his opening remarks for the UN General Assembly, Ban urged permanent Security Council members to ignore their divisions and also called for a stop to the Yemen bombings. In addition, he slammed the countries that closed their doors to the refugees and encouraged Europe "to do more," the report relays.
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Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, the first world leader to speak, echoed Ban's sentiments and criticized the nations that refuse to lend a hand to the refugees seeking asylum from the Middle East conflicts. She pointed out that Brazil has opened its doors to Syrians and Haitians, just like it has welcomed Europeans and Asians a hundred years ago.
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke out against tyrants who are "driving innocent men, women and children across borders on an epic scale." The American leader blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for creating a "power vacuum" that ISIS has taken advantage of. He then called on to nations to embark on a joint effort to find a way to stop the crisis in Syria, CNN reports.
"If we cannot work together more effectively, we will all suffer the consequences," CNN quotes Obama's speech.
The UN General Assembly comes amid the ongoing war in Syria and Russia's continued arms support for Assad. The gathering also comes at a crucial time when Iran and Russia are pushing for anti-terrorist fights as priority rather than Assad's exit from his position, the report details.
In connection with this, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the UN to endorse an anti-ISIS coalition that includes Assad's forces. He said refusing to cooperate with Assad's troops is a "major mistake."
This week, the UN General Assembly will tackle the influx of migrants in Europe, which is a result of the five-year conflict in Syria.
