UN sessions to focus on wide variety of global issues

President to address world leaders today:

Pramod de Silva in New York

US: The UN General Assembly's high-level debate, commencing today in New York, will see seasoned campaigners and new faces who will grapple with issues old and new, from Darfur to climate change.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has received the prime afternoon slot for his speech, (3 p.m. New York time) which is expected to outline the Government's commitment to peace and development for all regions, including the newly liberated East. Sri Lanka will also take a strong stand against terrorism.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom are the other SAARC Heads of State attending the world's biggest parley. Both India and Pakistan are represented at ministerial level.

The list of 'new' faces begins at the top this year, with soft-spoken Secretary General Ban Ki Moon steering the UN ship for the first time.

His opening address will be followed by the address of President George W. Bush. "This is the most intense period of international diplomacy ever at the UN," said Secretary General Ki-moon, adding that the 192-Member world body is "once again the global forum" where solutions are proposed and discussed.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President will be another high-profile new entrant. His speech is eagerly anticipated, as he is seen as giving France a leadership role in the European region. Sarkozy has already shocked many with his willingness to accommodate the US. He will also chair a ministerial meeting on Africa's future on the sidelines of the UN.

German Chancellor 'Angela Merkel will also make her mark at the UN for the first time. Her speeches at the climate summit as well as the General Assembly are eagerly awaited by those seeking to know Germany's stance oncurrent issues.'

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will also receive wide media coverage. Zimbabwe's controversial President Robert Mugabe is also likely to be in the spotlight.

Apart from issues such as climate change, development financing, counter-terrorism and Millennium Development Goals, many world leaders are likely to focus the world's attention on the crisis in Darfur, Iran's nuclear programme, Middle East peace, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Iraq and Kosovo.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg, as individual leaders will cite more issues to gain the world's attention.

The bloodletting in Darfur, currently the world's worst humanitarian crisis, will figure high on the agenda. A high-level meeting will be held to lay the groundwork for peace talks in Libya next month.

The issue of Kosovo's independence will be a volatile topic as Serbia refuses to accept the separation bid of its mainly ethnic Albanian province.

Both countries reject a UN envoy's plan for transition to independence.

And what does all this mean for the New Yorkers? By now they are used to the intense security arrangements in place, with road closures the norm. NYPD personnel and Federal Agents armed to the teeth swarm around the UN building and all those entering the UN have to go through stringent security checks.

That has not deterred curious onlookers and tourists from trying to catch a glimpse of VVIPs as their motorcades go by. A global media contingent is already here to cover every move and every word of the people who matter in the corridors of power.