THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2024 13 TALKING POINTS Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan Top UNGA Agenda At the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas con ict, the escalating con ict in Lebanon, and the devastating hostilities and humanitarian crisis in Sudan were top concerns. During a high-level Security Council meeting, Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the “horrific acts of terror” committed by Hamas while also calling for an immediate cease-fire to end Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Guterres warned that the escalating violence risks dragging the entire region into further conflict, noting that Israeli strikes recently targeted Hezbollah positions in Beirut. In the General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his country’s military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah, calling it a “battle of good against evil.” His speech was met with wide protests, however. Scores of diplomats walked out of the hall in protest of the ongoing war in Gaza and recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Netanyahu issued stern warnings to Iran, saying: “There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach.” Iran has vowed retaliation following Israel’s recent actions, including attacks on its embassy in Damascus and the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an impassioned plea to world leaders in New York City, urging them to reject cease-fire proposals that would only bring a temporary “lull” rather than a lasting and just peace. Zelensky reiterated his peace plan, which calls for the full withdrawal of Russian forces, accountability for war crimes, and security guarantees. His address came as he visited the U.S. to present his “victory plan” to President Joe Biden and other leaders and seek more military aid. Zelensky’s visit coincided with a European Parliament resolution urging the lifting of restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied weapons on legitimate Russian targets, a move that some European countries, such as Italy, oppose. UNGA: Global AI Partnership Also at UNGA, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Sept. 23 a new public-private partnership aimed at expanding access to arti cial intelligence (AI) technology in developing countries. The Partnership for Global Inclusivity on AI will bring together leading tech companies—including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI—to address critical disparities in AI access, capacity, and application. “AI must be inclusive to be effective,” Blinken said. “We’re working to ensure more people, especially in the Global South, can benefit from AI technology to solve the real-world problems they face, such as climate change, food insecurity, and access to education.” As part of the initiative, the U.S. government will provide $33 million in foreign assistance for AI development, with $10 million specifically allocated to expanding access in developing countries. Additionally, the tech companies involved have committed more than $100 million in total resources, including infrastructure investments, free access to technology, and training programs. Key features of the partnership include the expansion of computer resources to low- and middle-income countries, capacity-building efforts to train local AI developers, and the creation of contextspecific datasets to preserve cultural and linguistic diversity. Blinken emphasized that these efforts aim to bridge the gap between nations and ensure that AI technology is developed and applied equitably across the globe. “This is an important moment,” Blinken concluded. “AI has the potential to transform lives, but we must make sure that no one is left behind.” USAID is an incredibly mission-driven agency where people come to work every day to save lives, to improve lives. It’s honestly inspiring to work, including among those people who criticize me, with the incredibly talented people that could be working in the private sector. Instead, they come to work every day to help people like the people who are suffering in Gaza. More than 40,000 civilians have been killed in Gaza, more than 13,000 children, more than 308 workers. I would honestly be disappointed if my staff were not in churn and pressing for more. And I just feel lucky that I’m in the government, in the room engaging the Israelis, working with a team that’s pushing for a cease-fire, because fundamentally that’s what’s needed most of all, because, clearly, none of us can be satisfied with where things are now in Gaza. —USAID Administrator Samantha Power on “PBS NewsHour,” Sept. 25, 2024. Contemporary Quote
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