Lots of leaders saying lots of things about lots of topics — topics that matter to them, to their regions to the world.
That’s what the speechmaking at the U.N. General Assembly invariably produces each year. And each year, certain enormous topics and certain louder voices dominate.
Here, The Associated Press takes the opposite approach and spotlights some thoughts you might not have heard — the voices of leaders speaking at the first all-virtual U.N. General Assembly leaders meeting who might not have captured the headlines and the airtime on Saturday, the fifth day of the 2020 debate.
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“Never in the history of mankind have we had so many opportunities to do what we want.”
— NAYIB BUKELE, president of El Salvador
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“There will be no vaccine against climate change.”
— CRAIG HAWKE, New Zealand's U.N. ambassador
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“We are stronger together than apart. This notion is evident to a small state like Iceland.”
— GUÐLAUGUR ÞÓR ÞÓRÐARSON, Iceland's minister for foreign affairs and development
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“The U.N. still presents the best hope for humanity.”
— ABDULLA SHAHID, minister of foreign affairs for the Maldives
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“2020 is humanity’s defining moment.”
— WILFRED P. ELRINGTON, minister of foreign affairs for Belize
