Simultaneous Coverage of the Seventieth Session of the UN General Assembly

The Seventieth Session of the UN General Assembly began at 9 AM local time in New York on Monday, October 6. Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani were among the speakers on the first day of the session. French President Francois Hollande, while speaking at the UN General Assembly, stated that France would take on responsibilities to resolve the Syrian issue, including military action. He also mentioned that France is willing to cooperate with other countries, including Gulf states and Iran, in this regard. Hollande emphasized that Bashar al-Assad is the 'source and origin of the Syrian problem' and therefore cannot be part of the solution. He, like other speakers before him, addressed the issue of Syria and echoed Obama's sentiment that Assad has no place in Syria's future. Much of Hollande's speech was dedicated to climate change and global warming, referencing the upcoming Paris conference, where he posed the question: 'Will humanity be able to preserve the Earth for future generations?' He noted that terrorism strikes hardest at civilians and that no country is safe from its impact. Following Rouhani, the Emir of Qatar spoke at the General Assembly, and now Hollande stands at the podium. The 'Not a Crime' campaign in New York, initiated by Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari, focuses on the suppression of Baha'is and journalists in Iran. According to Iranian President Rouhani, U.S. aggression and occupation in Iraq and its support for the 'Zionist regime' have fueled terrorism in the Middle East. He advised the U.S. to refrain from 'distorting' realities, asserting that U.S. policies in the region have led to extremism, violence, and bloodshed. Rouhani emphasized that Iran aims to achieve 'political understanding' through 'economic convergence' with other countries.