President Petro opened remembering that in his first speech before the Assembly he warned about conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and proposed a peace conference. But he argued that during the intermediate years, the “horrible situation” in Palestine and in other places has shown how not prepared was the world.
“Perhaps a global stone age has descended to all humanity,” he said, and said that powerful nations use violence and pointed out attacks against unarmed young people in the Colombian Caribbean region and the death of tens of thousands in Gaza.
By stating that the General Assembly is “a mute witness of the genocide,” asked a decisive action: “In the first place, we must stop the genocide in Gaza. Humanity cannot allow a single day or more of this.”
In migration, Mr. Petro condemned the massive expulsion and persecution of migrants, saying that migration has become a tool for nations to affirm the domain, instead of addressing the fundamental causes. He linked climatic inaction, inequality and war, saying that everything comes from the same global structures that privilege wealth.
He also said that his government has rejected the violent eradication of coca crops used in drug policy and, on the other hand, pressed voluntary substitution, saying that the expansion of coca fell sharply, from 43 % to 3 percent.
The Colombian president also challenged the United Nations system, especially its asymmetries, such as how decisions are made in the Security Council and how foreign policy can be influenced by the interests of powerful states, even when they collide with human rights or peace.
Mr. Petro concluded asking for a global solidarity renewal: a world where vulnerable are protected, migration is managed as a human right and no society can claim superiority.