Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades on Monday joins world leaders who will come together, virtually, to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
His speech is scheduled for 8 in the evening local time with the President expected to focus on the challenges of the turbulent Eastern Mediterranean region.
At the same time, the deadly coronavirus pandemic further challenges the effectiveness and solidarity of the 193-member world body.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has already said that the pandemic has exposed the world’s fragilities.
And that he plans to tell world leaders on Monday that they need to work together at a time when there is a surplus of multilateral challenges and deficit of solutions.
The one-day special event on Monday comes ahead of the annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations, which starts on Tuesday with no presidents or prime ministers physically present in New York.
All statements have been pre-recorded and will be broadcast in the General Assembly hall.
The United Nations was created when countries came together after World War Two to prevent another such conflict.
While there has not been World War Three, leaders will adopt a statement on Monday acknowledging “moments of disappointment.”
“Our world is not yet the world that our founders envisaged 75 years ago. It is plagued by growing inequality, poverty, hunger, armed conflicts, terrorism, insecurity, climate change and pandemics,” the statement says.
“All this calls for greater action, not less,” it says.
