What happened?
On 21 September, General Secretary Antonio Guterres addressed the United Nations General Assembly outlining the six "Great Divides" that must be bridged. "With humanity on the edge of an abyss, and moving in the wrong direction, the world must wake up", quoted the Secretary-General. He called in for greater actions on Covid-19 and vaccine inequalities, bold steps towards gender equality, digital technology dangers, and closing the generational gap. "This is our time. A moment for transformation. An era to re-ignite multilateralism. An age of possibilities," the Secretary-General informed the world leaders and ambassadors.   

More than 100 leaders attended the meeting. The US President Joe Biden declared a "new era" of US diplomacy, as the world stands at an "inflection point in history." Chinese President, Xi Jinping expressed the need to improve global governance and practice true multilateralism, including the "need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation". The UK Prime Minister warned that it was time for humanity to "grow up". President Tayyip Erdogan said, "We plan to present the Paris climate agreement to our parliament's approval next month in line with constructive steps that will be taken."

What is the background?
First, Covid 19 and the vaccine inequalities. The UN statements and discussions focused on reversing the global failure to tackle Covid-19 and vaccinate 70 per cent of the world population by the first half of 2022. While some countries have vaccines widely available, some struggled to get supplies.

Second, the focus on multilateralism. Recently, there has been a refocus on multilateralism. With Trump gone, along with his unilateral actions whether within the UN or outside it, there has been a renewed focus on multilateral actions to deal with issues ranging from COVID vaccination to climate change. 

Third, the end of War on Terrorism. Ever since the 9/11 attacks, terrorism has remained a primary concern in the General Assembly. Afghanistan has been a significant part of the discussion. The rise of radical groups in Iraq, Syria and Africa made terrorism a primary theme for discussions at the UN. 

Fourth, the chaos of migration and climate change commitments. The regional conflicts loom over the General Assembly meeting accompanying the migration crisis. Europe-bound migrants, crisis in the US-Mexico border, violence in the Tigray crisis, and the terror in Afghanistan have been the source of migration. Thousands of people desperately trying to cross the borders for a chance at a better life. Migration has become another focus of the UN discussions. On Climate Change, the leaders have pledged concrete commitments before the COP26 and UN Climate Change Conference. 

What does this mean?
First, the UN has been trying to stimulate the idea of multilateralism for years now. Wherein, the world might be able to face the pressing issues from the pandemic to the migration crisis working together. In this meeting, the world leaders seem to be acknowledging the gravity of issues and planning for the future accordingly.

Second, the 76th UN General Assembly 2021 unlike the earlier meetings has proved to be successful and engaging with the realistic approach with a tinge of idealism. The lingering question is if the UN can deliver up to the goals and expectations, or is it just transitioning for mere survival.