President Biden to raise issue of UNSC reforms at UN General Assembly session, rebuke Russia's war in Ukraine: NSA Jake Sullivan

Washington: US President Joe Biden will address the UN General Assembly session on Wednesday. President Biden is expected to urge the international community to rebuke Russia's "unjust" war in Ukraine and stand against it, and is also expected to raise the issue of reforms in the United Nations Security Council while attending the annual session of the UN General Assembly, said his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during a press conference at the White House on Tuesday.

The US President left for New York on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he will deliver his speech before the UN General Assembly, besides holding meetings with some of the US' closest allies, including his first bilateral meeting with the United Kingdom's new Prime Minister Liz Truss. "In the afternoon, he will host the pledging session for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria for the Seventh Replenishment Conference," Sullivan said.

According to Jake Sullivan, Biden will make new announcements about the US' investments to address global food insecurity and lay out in detail how the country "restored its global leadership by delivering on its promises, on global health, climate and emerging technologies among others." "He will offer a firm rebuke of Russia's unjust war in Ukraine and make a call to the world to continue to stand against the naked aggression that we've seen these past several months," Sullivan said.

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The US president will underscore the importance of strengthening the United Nations and reaffirm the core tenets of its charter "at a time when a permanent member of the Security Council has struck at the very heart of the charter by challenging the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty".

PTI report quoted Sullivan as saying, "We believe that the president heads to New York with the wind at his back. We're making historic investments here at home. Our alliances are as strong as they have been in modern memory. Our robust, united support for Ukraine has helped the Ukrainians push back against Russian aggression." 

He further added, "We are leading the world in response to the most significant transnational challenges that the world faces, from global health to food security, global supply chains and tackling the climate crisis. Meanwhile, our competitors are facing increasingly strong headwinds and neither President Xi nor President Putin are even showing up for this global gathering." 

President Biden and US First Lady will reportedly host the leaders' reception in the evening where they have invited almost every head of delegations from around the world.

Biden to raise issue of UNSC reforms at UN General Assembly session

President Biden is expected to raise the issue of reforms in the United Nations Security Council, said US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. He, however, sidestepped queries related to Russia's permanent membership in the UN Security Council (UNSC), adding "It is not something that he (Biden) is going to raise tomorrow although I think the world can see that when a permanent member acts in this way, it strikes at the heart of the UN Security Council. That should lead everyone collectively to put pressure on Moscow to change course."

In response to a query, Sullivan said, "I expect the president will speak substantively to the question of UNSC reform while he is in New York. Whether he does so publicly or whether he communicates privately with the (UN) secretary-general and others, we are still working on it." 

Biden may make a public statement that is more specific than the principles laid down by US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield but of course consistent with them, Sullivan said, adding, "We will reinforce those principles in all of our diplomatic engagements."

The US has supported the move to have India as a permanent member of the UNSC. In an interview with BBC World, Thomas-Greenfield said the United States is open to discussions about expanding the UNSC so that it is more representative of the world, adding "Those discussions will take place over the course of the next few weeks and year to look at how additional members can become both permanent as well as selected members of the council."

She hoped that China and Russia would agree with the US that it is time for the UN Security Council to change, adding "So, we will engage on this and see how far it gets us."

(With PTI Inputs)