The second day of the U.N. General Assembly annual meeting kicks off Wednesday with speeches from leaders of China, Japan, Ukraine, the European Union, Afghanistan and Pakistan, among others.

A total of 42 leaders will speak at the 71st General Assembly meeting in New York.  

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi and long-time Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe will speak during the morning session.

U.N. Secretary General Ban ki Moon cited the day as the International Day of Peace, calling on warring parties around the world to observe a 24-hour cease fire.

Syria, refugee crisis

Many of Tuesday’s speeches focused on Syria and the refugee crisis.  President Obama said there is no ultimate military victory to be won in Syria and said a diplomatic solution must be pursued.

Obama also warned that “the embers of extremism will continue to burn” in the world, but that “the world is too small for us to simply be able to build a wall” and prevent it from affecting society.

This year marks both Obama and Ban’s last U.N. addresses.  Obama will leave office in January, and after nearly a decade of leading the international body Ban will step down by year-end.

  [Read More]

—–
Source: VOA News: Economy and Finance