Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has used his first address to the United Nations General Assembly to call for an end to wars and a renewed commitment to international cooperation, in a speech that included a veiled criticism of US isolationism under Donald Trump.
Speaking in New York, Albanese warned that leaders who walk away from global challenges risk being trusted by no one. 'If we resign ourselves to the idea that war is inevitable, or relegate ourselves to the status of disinterested bystanders, if our only response to every crisis is to insist that there is nothing we can do, then we risk being trusted with nothing,' he said.
The prime minister also resurrected Australia's bid for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council in 2029-30, a move first launched by the Turnbull government in 2015. He called for sweeping reforms of the organisation, arguing that no nation should imagine itself above the rules.
Albanese addressed climate change as an existential threat, particularly for low-lying Pacific nations, in a clear rebuttal of Trump's dismissal of climate science. He said Australia is on track to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target of 43% on 2005 levels and described the 2035 target of 62-70% as ambitious but achievable.
The prime minister also joined leaders of France, Canada and the UK in recognising Palestinian statehood, telling the assembly that Australia is doing the right thing. He quoted the UN charter, saying succeeding generations should be saved from the scourge of war.
