They said it: Leaders at the UN, in their own words

UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Many leaders saying many things about many topics that matter to them, to their regions, to the world: That’s what the U.N. General Assembly invariably produces each year.

And each year, certain voices dominate. Here, The Associated Press takes the opposite approach and spotlights some thoughts from leaders who might have not captured the headlines and airtime on Tuesday, the first day of the 2025 General Debate.

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“The United Nations must be a genuine unity of nations…. We are all really better together.”

– Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, president of Suriname

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“Our international order is being slowly eroded by the irresponsible actions of those who should know better. The world is turning into a much more dangerous place. We have seen this before.”

– Gitanas Nausėda, president of Lithuania

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“Not for the first time, developments on the ground have made me question the worth and utility of words in capturing the magnitude of the crisis. Yet, not speaking about it would signal acceptance of the situation and abandonment of our humanity – and that, I will not do.”

– Abdullah II, king of Jordan, on the Mideast situation

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“K culture is connecting people all over the world … the success and spread of K culture prove that universal empathy is possible.”

– Lee Jae Myung, president of South Korea

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“We are fighting wars that cause death and destruction when we should be fighting poverty.”

– Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa