It was a unique event for the United Nations laced with nostalgia, humor and tributes — the secretary-general and the U.S. president toasting each other for the last time in front of the world's leaders.
Every year, the U.N. chief hosts a formal lunch for the presidents, prime ministers and potentates attending the annual ministerial meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. And every year, the U.S. president responds as the representative of the host country.
But Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday's lunch was unique.
"Never before have a president of the United States and a secretary-general of the United Nations completed their terms at about the same time — within just 20 days of each other."
Ban then looked at Barack Obama, sitting just a few feet away at the head table, and said: "Mr. President, we need to find something to do!"
The United Nations says 30 more countries are expected to formally join the Paris Agreement on climate change, greatly improving the pact's chances of coming into force just a year after it was negotiated in the French capital.
More than 170 world leaders have signed the deal, but it won't take effect until 55 countries accounting for at least 55 percent of global emissions have ratified or accepted it through their domestic procedures. That was initially expected to take several years, but 28 countries — including the world's two biggest emitters, the U.S. and China — accounting for 39 percent of emissions have already ratified the deal.
The 30 ratifications which the U.N. expects to be handed to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a special event at U.N. headquarters in New York on Wednesday will bring the total to more than 55 countries — but many are small and it appears unlikely that they will account for the needed 55 percent of global emissions.
U.S. President Barack Obama says the world is facing "a crisis of epic proportions" in the form of tens of millions of refugees.
Obama is hosting a summit on refugees during the U.N. General Assembly. He says the refugee crisis tests the world's ability to end conflicts. Obama is calling it a test of the international system and a test of common humanity.
The president is lamenting that only 10 countries host the vast majority of refugees. He's pressing nations to do more to take in and support migrants.
Obama says screening refugees based on their religion would reinforce terrorist propaganda that nations like the U.S. are opposed to Islam. He says that's an "ugly lie" that all countries must reject.
It's a rebuke of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has warned about the supposed risks of accepting Muslim immigrants.
President Barack Obama says Nigeria has made "real progress" against an extremist organization linked to the Islamic State group.
Obama says he and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari discussed additional ways the country's military can achieve even more progress against Boko Haram militants. The group was responsible for the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls from the town of Chibok more than two years ago. Many remain missing.
The leaders met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
Taking the world stage for the last time as secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon unleashes years of pent-up anger at leaders who keep "feeding the war machine" in Syria, violate human rights and prevent aid deliveries to starving people.
The U.N. chief told leaders at Tuesday's opening of General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting that "powerful patrons" of both sides in the more than five-year Syrian conflict "have blood on their hands"
"Present in this hall today are representatives of governments that have ignored, facilitated, funded, participated in or even planned and carried out atrocities inflicted by all sides of the Syria conflict against Syrian civilians," he said.
Ban said "many groups have killed innocent civilians — none more so than the government of Syria."
And he accused South Sudan's feuding leaders of betraying their people. He said "in too many places, we see leaders rewriting constitutions, manipulating elections and taking other desperate steps to cling to power."
Source: AbcNews