United States President Joe Biden is faced with a plethora of challenges during his first United Nations General Assembly as the American representative and comes into the event with several controversies behind his back.
Some of the issues that the Democratic leader is struggling with include his decision to withdraw all American soldiers from Afghanistan, which resulted in the Taliban taking over the region. His response to the coronavirus pandemic has also been scrutinized by many for the lack of effective implementation.
Biden's First UN General Assembly
On Tuesday, Biden said, "This is the clear and urgent choice that we face here, at the dawning of what must be a decisive decade for our world, a decade that will quite literally determine our futures. As a global community, we are challenged by urgent and looming crises, wherein lie enormous opportunities if - if - we can summon the will, and resolve to seize these opportunities."
The president's commitments echo his previous promises during his 2020 campaign where he said he would deploy American leadership to assist in tackling global issues. Biden's statements suggested he would work together with allies and partners to address the problems, VOX reported.
During his address, Biden called on allies who were skeptical of his presidency in tackling global issues plaguing nations worldwide. He decried claims of military conflict and reassured that the United States was not seeking to go into a "new Cold War" against China.
However, while the Democratic U.S. president discussed the urgency of cooperating to tackle global issues, he avoided questions regarding his decision to pull American troops from Afghanistan. Biden also avoided addressing the United States' role in the botched nuclear submarine deal between Australia and France.
Biden used his time at the UN General Assembly to reassure international leaders that the United States remained an international partner after four years of "America First" policies made under former President Donald Trump's administration, the Associated Press reported.
Tackling Global Issues
During his speech, the Democrat said the American federal government was committed to opening a new era of relentless diplomacy. He said his administration would use the power of their development aid to invest in new ways of supporting people worldwide.
Biden said that no matter the difficulties or challenges that the U.S. could face, the government will help its people by delivering needed support. He later defended his withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan that it was his government's "tool of last resort."
The UN General Assembly is the latest test of Biden's credibility on the world stage amid several controversies. During the event, Chinese President Xi Jinping showed a prerecorded video, where he also addressed global issues and committed China's support for tackling the problems. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he received commitments from China and the United States about their views on addressing climate change.
During his address, Biden said that the future belonged to the nations who would give their people the ability to be free and not be suffocated by iron-handed authoritarianism. He argued that democracy would end if authoritarians were given more power, the New York Times reported.
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