Ryan Bridge: Nothing solves global conflict like a good UNGA session

Thank God the UN General Assembly is underway in New York. Nothing solves global conflict like a good UNGA session. 

I've been to one of these before, back when John Key was the Prime Minister – there was a resolution on Iran. 

A lot of sitting around talking and listening, which as Winston Peters pointed out yesterday, is quite important! 

Netanyahu's enroute. Zelensky's there. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Putin the Pariah obviously won't be, but does anybody hold out any hope that the UN will fix the big issues? Magically solve the wars and conflict? 

As we reported to you on Thursday's show, China's launching missiles into the South Pacific for the first time since the 1980s. A Japanese warship’s just sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time overnight. Israel's hammering Lebanon - today they said "no thanks” to a peace deal. 

Putin's lowering the threshold for nuclear weapons. Trump says Ukraine is dead, and delegates are talking over the top of Winston Peters at the Security Council, which he wasn't happy about, calling for the room to be quiet. 

"Maybe a third principal, when somebody's addressing you, the rest of the people in the room keep quiet.” 

Some would say these are challenges the world can face together, united as one United Nations, but most of the time it's about as useful as ashtray in a motorbike, and most countries and their leaders know this. 

But off they go to the off to the Big Apple, to do their dance and thump their fists and have their say, while the rest of world largely ignores and carries on - business as usual. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thank goodness. I'm so relieved, not only because it's Friday,
but I'm also relieved because the UN General Assembly is
underway in New York. Nothing solves global conflict like a
good anger session. I've been to one of these before.
There's a lot of sitting around and talking and listening, which,
as Winston Peter's pointed out yesterday, is actually quite important.
Netanyahu is en route, Zelenski is there, martmudebas the Palestinian president,

(00:24):
he's going Putin the Pariah obviously won't be there. But
does anybody hold out any hope that the UN will
fix the big issues, will magically solve all the walls
and conflicts in the world. As we reported on yesterday's show,
China's launching missiles into the South Pacific. A Japanese warship
has just sailed through the Taiwan straight for the first

(00:45):
time ever. That's new this morning. Israel's hammering Lebanon, not
to mention Gaza, Putin's lowering the threshold for nuclear weapons.
Trump says Ukraine is dead, and delegates are talking over
the top of Winston Peter's at the Security Council.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
What you mean when somebody's addressing you. The rest of
the people in the room keep quiet.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Some would say these challenges are ones that the world
that we can all face together, united as one, united nations.
But most of the time, if we're being real about it,
it's about as useful as an ash tray on a motorbike.
And most countries and their leaders know this, but off
they go off to the big Apple to do their dance,
to thump their fists, have their say, while the rest

(01:28):
of the world largely ignores and carries on business as usual.
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