The World Cup of diplomacy

Farnaz, I usually call you up to talk about Iran, but you’re also our U.N. bureau chief and have been covering these annual meetings for a decade. People love to discuss how irrelevant the U.N. has become. How much does the U.N. still matter?

It’s the only forum in the world that brings countries — all 193 of them — together under one roof. They call it the World Cup of diplomacy. Delegations attend bilateral meetings, group meetings, thematic meetings on things like rising ocean levels and food security. These are issues that need a space for discussion, and the U.N. is really the only place that offers that.

What comes out that’s actionable? Very little. But it moves the conversation forward. And there’s value to that if you believe in diplomacy. We’re so used to thinking, “Oh, the U.N. Security Council is so divided; the U.S. and China and Russia can’t agree on anything.” But as one U.N. expert pointed out, when you compare it to the Cold War days, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union were at loggerheads, the U.N. is still doing a lot more today than it was then.

What stood out to you this year?

Definitely artificial intelligence. A.I. went from a marginal issue to a big theme. The Security Council, which always picks what it sees as the most important issue for peace and stability, held a high-profile meeting on A.I., with Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, the bosses of OpenAI and Anthropic, briefing leaders.

For now, several of the countries that have veto power don’t seem very eager to act jointly. The U.S., China and Russia were essentially saying, “You can’t interfere in our sovereign decisions about technology.”

It was also the first time the head of a country actively at war with the U. S. has come to New York and addressed the U.N. How did that go down?

It was remarkable. In Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. toppled the governments so quickly that this situation was avoided. During the Vietnam War, Vietnam wasn’t yet a member state, so this was new — and a little surreal. Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, is getting Secret Service protection from the Americans.

People in Iran are pointing out the irony: Iranians are not safe in their own country, where America may attack and kill them. But in the U.S., they’re protected by the Secret Service and meeting with prime ministers and presidents. For Iran’s government that’s a symbolic win: We survived. We’re still standing.

How did Trump handle the situation?

It’s interesting. Last year, Trump just lashed out at countries and insulted the U.N. and people were nervous he’d pull the U.S. — the U.N.’s top funder — out altogether.

This year, from the U.N.’s perspective, at least, his speech was more measured. That might sound surprising, given that he talked about annihilating the Islamic republic and effectively threatened a war crime from the U.N. podium. But he was not threatening the U.N. itself. And in a way, he was doing what people do at the U.N. General Assembly: He used the platform to send a message.

Then, an hour later, we hear the Iranians and Americans have been meeting for two hours on the sidelines. Which is also what people do at U.N.G.A. though not usually after one party has just threatened to annihilate the other.

So, what I’m hearing you say is that the U.N. is still a useful talking shop. But perhaps no longer itself involved in conflict resolution?

The U.N.’s original and core mission was to prevent and mediate conflict, and that piece has slipped away. In Gaza, it had a very minimal role. In the Iran conflict, it’s had no voice. But it’s more than a talking shop. When it comes to humanitarian relief, for example, it’s really the only game in town. The response to floods in Nepal or earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela, food aid in Gaza and Sudan, would not be possible without the U.N.’s staff, logistics, planes and regional hubs.

The secretary general, António Guterres, is leaving office in December. What should we expect next?

They’re looking for a new secretary general, but for now there’s no clear front runner. At every Security Council briefing I went to this week, they said they want someone who asserts themselves more on conflicts. They feel Guterres has been too passive. They think a new leader, possibly a woman for the first time, could energize the institution.

Dueling speeches: The Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, speaking in a videotaped address, called for a two-state solution while denouncing Israel for what he called a “genocidal” war. Several hours later, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, defended Israeli military action across the Middle East in a fiery speech. Dozens of delegates walked out of the hall as he took the podium. We have live updates.

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