The General debate of the seventy-second session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) commenced on 19 September 2017 and ended on 25 September 2017. Leaders from a number of member states addressed the UNGA.
Organisation and subjects The order of speakers is given first to member states, then observer states and supranational bodies. Any other observers entities will have a chance to speak at the end of the debate, if they so choose. Speakers will be put on the list in the order of their request, with special consideration for ministers and other government officials of similar or higher rank. According to the rules in place for the General Debate, the statements should be in of the United Nations official languages of Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish, and will be translated by the United Nations translators. Each speaker is requested to provide 20 advance copies of their statements to the conference officers to facilitate translation and to be presented at the podium. Though there is no time limit for speeches, a voluntary guideline of 15 minutes is requested. The president's chosen theme for this year's debate was chosen by President Miroslav Lajcak as "Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet."
Speaking schedule
19 September Morning schedule – Secretary-General António Guterres – 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly - President Miroslav Lajcak (Opening statement) – President Michel Temer – President Donald Trump – President Alpha Condé – President Doris Leuthard – President Andrej Kiska – President Muhammadu Buhari – President Miloš Zeman – President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf – President Emmanuel Macron – President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (Scheduled) – President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón – President Emomali Rahmon – President Edgar Chagwa Lungu – President Dalia Grybauskaitė – Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani – President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Afternoon schedule – President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta – Prince Albert II – President Andrzej Duda – President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi – President Shavkat Mirziyoyev – President Serzh Sargsyan – President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – President Maithripala Sirisena – President Danilo Medina Sánchez (Scheduled) – President Kersti Kaljulaid – President Jimmy Morales – President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai
Evening schedule – President Adama Barrow – President Evo Morales Ayma – President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (Scheduled) – President Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado – Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz – Foreign Minister Isselkou Ould Ahmed Izid Bih – President Jacob Zuma (Scheduled)
Right of Reply Member states have the option to reply to comments on the day (or even to the days prior), but are limited to 10 minutes for the first response and five minutes for the second response. All speeches are made from the floor, as opposed to the podium for the General Debate.
Iran used its turn to respond (through a translator) to Israel in saying that the "representative of the Israeli regime made unfounded allegations by trying to deceive the world to distract public opinion from [the] hideous actions of his regime. The nature of the regime that is founded on occupation, violence, and terror can in no way be covered up by accusing others." He said that Israel has "weapons of mass misinformation but in this information age it is becoming useless day-by-day. Instead of trying to deceive he should explain to the Assembly why it has invaded all of its neighbours and even beyond the region. It has waged over 15 wars in its lifetime. Why does it ignore tens of resolutions of this Assembly, as well as over 100 resolutions? [As] he spoke today...why does the state sponsor of terrorism continue such acts, including of supporting ISIS by providing arms and assistance...sure this regime has an exceptional capability in committing all crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression, including oppression. It is exceptional in barbarity. It has an exceptional capability in killing women and children, destroying homes, schools, and hospitals. It has an exceptional capability in terrorism. He claimed his regime saves live around the world but why does it oppress Palestinians daily. Why does it jail and arrest thousands of Palestinians and why does it carry out a blockade against millions in the Gaza Strip. Does he think that by wearing white he can cover up his red hands? Does he think the world forgets the Sabra and Shatila massacre? He did not explain why the regime, despite its arsenal of conventional weapons, does it have chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Why is it not a party to end weapons of mass destruction, in particular the NPT. Why does it reject the establish of a nuclear-free Middle East despite repeated calls by the UN, the international community and this Assembly over the past 30 years? One question he was expected to answer is why his regime which is the only nuclear weapons possessor in the Middle East, hides behind the doctrine of strategic ambiguity. He shamelessly lectures the world on non-proliferation and accuses Iran, whose [non-military] nuclear capability has been approved by the IAEA. He tried to abuse this Assembly by only accusing others. He also tried to create anxiety over the JCPOA."
The session was then ended for the day.
20 September Morning schedule – President Sauli Niinistö – President Almazbek Atambaev – President Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev – President David Arthur Granger – Chairman of the Presidency Dragan Cović – President Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez – President Paul Kagame – President Petro Poroshenko (Scheduled) – President Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara – President Hassan Rouhani – President Rumen Radev
Late morning session – President Alassane Ouattara – President Petro Poroshenko – President Mahmoud Abbas – President of the European Council Donald Tusk – Prime Minister António Luís Santos da Costa – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – Prime Minister Mark Rutte – Prime Minister Theresa May – Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni
Afternoon schedule – President Lenin Moreno Garcés – Vice President Marta Gabriela Michetti Illia – President Denis Sassou Nguesso – President Michelle Bachelet Jeria – President Raimonds Vējonis – President Jacob Zuma – President Hage Geingob – President Filip Vujanović – President Klaus Werner Iohannis – President Arthur Peter Mutharika – President Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina Rakotoarimanana – President Macky Sall – King Mswati III – President Faiez Mustafa Serraj – President Baron Divavesi Waqa – Vice President Henry Van Thio – Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al Sabah – Prime Minister Erna Solberg (Scheduled) – Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama – Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita – Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado
21 September Morning schedule – President Aleksandar Vučić – President Jovenel Moise – President Moon Jae-in – President Michel Aoun – President Nicos Anastasiades – President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré – President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo – President Ali Bongo Ondimba – President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi Mansour – President Danny Faure – Vice President Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi – Prime Minister Andrej Plenković – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi – Prime Minister Miro Cerar – Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel – Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov – Foreign Minister Wang Yi
Afternoon schedule – President Salvador Sánchez Cerén – President Azali Assoumani – President Thomas Remengesau Jr. – President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo – President Evaristo do Espirito Santo Carvalho – President Robert Gabriel Mugabe – Vice President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla – Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II
Evening schedule – Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili (Scheduled) – Prime Minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga – Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili – Prime Minister Gaston Alphonso Browne – Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi – Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina – Prime Minister Charlot Salwai – Prime Minister Umaro Sissoco Embaló – Prime Minister Selom Komi Klassou – Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei – Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov – Foreign Minister Alfonso María Dastis Quecedo – Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen (Scheduled) – Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn –
Right of Reply Ukraine responded to Russia in saying that it would be brief due to the late hour (about 22:45). The representative said that the "last thing the General Assembly needs is to get into different exchanges. Russia is recognised by the United Nation as an occupying power in Ukraine. [This is] recognised by the General Assembly, the most representative UN body. Russia has no moral right to lecture on Ukraine until it returns sovereignty."
India then responded to Pakistan in criticising its "defence of terrorism. It is odd that the state that sheltered Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar should have the gumption to suggest terrorism. Thus this august Assembly and the world knows that efforts to create history does not change [reality]. Pakistan's name from the land of the pure [has changed] to pure terror. Pakistan is Terroristan. [It has harboured] Hafeez Sayyeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Its counter terrorism strategy has involved it being a haven to terrorists. It protects terrorists. Pakistan must understand that Jammu and Kashmir will always remain an integral part of India. However it ramps up terror, this will not change. Pakistan spoke of its supposed counter terrorism efforts, [but] having diverted international aid to infrastructure of terror, Pakistan is now talking of its suffering from terrorism. The world does not need lectures on democracy and human rights from a state defined as a failed state. Terroristan...if it is committed to civilisation the world may still understand."
Afghanistan responded to Pakistan in referring to "safe havens of terror in Pakistan. Pakistan diverts attention from [its] failure to take action against groups with sanctuaries in its territory. Those in Pakistan constitute the main source of instability to Afghanistan and the region. Efforts to this end, from this platform, have yielded nothing. Pakistan prevents a constructive approach to peace and stability in the region and the world. Where was Osama bin Laden killed? Near the capital, Islamabad. Where did Mullah Omar die? In an hospital in Karachi. Where was his successor Mullah Akhtar Mansour found and killed by foreign forces? Quetta in Pakistan. Which passport did he have to travel? Pakistan. From what country has almost every terrorist group entered Afghanistan? From Pakistan. Incessant support for extremist groups by Pakistan...[the] so-called civil war in Afghanistan has been so by the use of proxies for political purposes in Afghanistan. Now the time has come for Pakistan to adopt a constructive approach to promote peace in the region. Lastly Abbasi admitted in an interview a few days ago that the truck used in a bombing might have come from Pakistan to Afghanistan. We will use dialogue to ensure stability for our people. In this context, our resolve to defeat terrorism is unwavering, as is shown by our security forces everyday."