World leaders speak at United Nations General Assembly

The annual General Debate begins on Tuesday with speeches from leaders of US, Qatar, Iran, Turkey and China. 21 Sep 2021 - 22:18 GMT Guterres welcomes China and US climate pledges UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he welcomes China’s announcement to end financing of coal-fired power plants abroad and support green energy instead. 21 Sep 2021 - 19:10 GMT DRC leader tells UNGA ‘Africa does not need charity’ The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo told the UN General Assembly that “Africa does not need charity.” He did, however, in his speech to the assembly insist on the need for the whole African continent to benefit from “constructive, win-win partnerships”. “He lauded recent initiatives such as the Baghdad Regional Summit and the historic visit of Pope Francis to Iraq earlier this year as an important symbol of Iraq’s contributions to regional stability and interfaith tolerance.” 21 Sep 2021 - 16:49 GMT Our effort in Afghanistan was not in vain: NATO chief NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has told Al Jazeera outside the United Nations that the 20 years of fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan “was not in vain” despite the recent takeover of the country by the armed group. “It also includes the importance of integration between the indispensable role of the state played within its borders on the one hand and its role in confronting cross-border issues and joint commitments to counter challenges, crises and disasters on the other hand.” “We affirm our support to the priorities included in this session’s vision, emphasising the need for the equitable distribution of vaccines, ensuring their accessibility to the countries in the southern hemisphere.” 21 Sep 2021 - 15:49 GMT Bolsonaro tells UN Brazil is committed to environmental protection Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has told the United Nation’s General Assembly that his country’s environmental laws should serve as a model for the world, reinforcing his government’s commitment to eliminating illegal deforestation.