UNderstanding the UN: P-5 Power Players

UNderstanding the UN is done in partnership with PassBlue.

Next week the General Assembly will see the world’s top leaders. But only a few of the UN’s biggest players, member nations of the P-5, will be there. Here’s who’s coming and what’s been going on with them. 

China:

While Chinese Prime Minister Xi Jinping will not be attending the General Assembly, the Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the General Assembly according to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson. Yi is expected to showcase China’s support for multilateralism and the UN at a time when the United States has taken a back seat in both. This comes on the heels of China’s bold and aggressive international foreign policy initiative, known as the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative. This program has come under fire as experts and leaders are trying to tackle China’s debt trap diplomacy efforts. China is looking to expand its influence on the world stage and heads four of the UN’s fifteen specialized agencies, a stark contrast the United States lead on one. 

France:

Emmanuel Macron jumped to confirm his attendance in mid-July. Macron’s time on the stage will heavily focus on climate change, sustainable development, and a multilateralism initiative with Germany. 

United States:

President Trump will be coming back to his hometown next week. While talks between him and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani were highly anticipated, the US-Iran conflict deepened this week, wiping clear any chance of talks. Rouhani said talks with the president would ‘never happen’. Iran is accusing the United States of ‘economic terrorism’ and says that unless the US stops its behavior and re-enters the nuclear deal, then the possibility of talks is out of the question. This comes on the heels of the latest drama in which the Trump administration accused Tehran of being behind an attack on two major oil installations. This discussion would’ve held the greatest weight next week as Trump juggles other issues at stake. 

Russia:

President Vladmir Putin is not expected to be present at the General Assembly, despite Russia still holding rotating presidency on the UN Security Council. 

U.K:

Boris Johnson is still slated to give his speech at the General Assembly despite the raging battle over Brexit. Johnson came under intense fire when he suspended the last session of Parliament, although he claims it had nothing to do with Brexit. Johnson plans on pulling Britain out of the EU on October 31^st, with or without a deal. This issue may present itself during the General Assembly as the question of whether or not Northern Ireland and Scotland will get to remain part of the UK after Brexit is still up in the air.  

For a more in depth look into what's going on at the UN, check out PassBlue's UNscripted Podcast.