They Said It: At the U.N., Leaders Make Their Case Beyond the Headlines
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly has always been a chorus: many leaders, many subjects, many messages aimed at their own people, their regions and the wider world.
Every year, some of those voices dominate the headlines and cable airtime. On Tuesday, as the 2026 General Debate opened, The Associated Press went the other way, collecting remarks from leaders who may not have commanded the spotlight but whose words reflected the pressures bearing down on the international system.
The first day’s messages touched on prevention, African representation, crime, protracted conflict, Gaza, non-alignment and the future of the U.N. itself. Together, they offered a snapshot of a multilateral order being asked to do more at a moment when consensus is scarce and crises are spilling across borders.
Prevention, not just response
Dominica’s president, Sylvanie Burton, argued that the U.N.’s credibility should be measured not only by how it reacts to suffering but by whether it can stop it before it begins.
“The true test of this organization, therefore, is not only how well we respond when people have suffered. It is how well we can work together to prevent that suffering in the first place.”
— Sylvanie Burton, president of Dominica
Africa’s seat at the table
Angola’s president, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, pressed for African voices to be included at every stage of decisions on peace, security, development finance, climate and artificial intelligence. The appeal reflects a long-running push by African nations for a stronger role in global governance, including on the U.N. Security Council and in international financial institutions.
“The voices of Africans must be heard in all circumstances, at all times, in strategic decision-making processes on issues of peace, global security, financing for development as well as climate issues and global governance of artificial intelligence.”
— João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, president of Angola
A proverb for uncertain times
Mongolia’s president, Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, offered a national saying as a note of pragmatism amid the day’s sweeping themes.
“Mongols say, ‘If you do your best, fate will do the rest.’”
— Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, president of Mongolia
Crime and the rule of law
Peru’s president, Keiko Fujimori, framed her government’s fight against crime as a test of whether the state can protect citizens without surrendering to fear.
“In Peru, we will pursue crime, from the individual who carries out the act to the network that sustains it. We will not back down in the face of those who seek to impose terror over the rule of law.”
— Keiko Fujimori, president of Peru
Conflicts that travel
King Abdullah II of Jordan warned that protracted conflicts from Lebanon to Yemen to Sudan are deepening humanitarian suffering and that their economic effects reach far beyond the Middle East.
“From Lebanon to Yemen to Sudan, protracted conflict is deepening humanitarian suffering. And if anyone had any doubt that a crisis in our part of the world stays there, just look at the energy and grocery bills of ordinary families, from Mumbai to Madrid to Minnesota.”
— King Abdullah II of Jordan
A message on Gaza
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, focused on the safety of children in Gaza, drawing a contrast between the sky as a place of play and a place of war.
“Children in Gaza must be safe. When Palestinian children look up at the sky, they will see kites flying freely, not fighter jets, UAV or drones.”
— Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of Turkey
A short declaration
Chile’s president, José Antonio Kast, kept his message brief.
“Chile is back. And that’s not just a slogan.”
— José Antonio Kast, president of Chile
Non-alignment as an active choice
Seychelles’ president, Mathew Herminie, described his country’s foreign policy as neither passive nor indifferent, but a deliberate commitment to peace and international law.
“Seychelles approaches the world guided by an enduring, foundational principle: we are a friend to all, and an enemy to none. Our commitment to non-alignment is not passive indifference; it is an active choice for peace. It is the conviction that principled diplomacy, mutual respect, and international law are the true foundations of global stability.”
— Mathew Herminie, president of Seychelles
A question for the U.N. itself
South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, turned the institution’s own promises into a challenge, asking whether the U.N. can still deliver on peace and sustainable development and pledging that his country would help lead an effort to restore its spirit.
“Is the United Nations today capable of saving humanity from war, poverty, and disaster? Is the United Nations living up to its promise of restoring peace and achieving sustainable development? … Today, I stand here to make clear the Republic of Korea’s bold resolve to lead the effort to restore the spirit of the United Nations and reconnect the world, as a nation that has risen through the solidarity of the international community.”
— Lee Jae Myung, president of South Korea
The thread running through the day was less a single policy demand than a shared anxiety: that the institutions built after World War II are struggling to keep pace with modern conflict, economic shocks, climate risk and technological change. For smaller and middle-power states, the General Assembly remains one of the few stages where their concerns can be heard on equal footing with major powers — even if the headlines move on.