Mr Biden called for a withdrawal from armed conflict after two decades of war in Afghanistan and the Middle East. “As we close this period of relentless warfare, we are ushering in a new era of relentless diplomacy,” he said while standing in the United Nations Assembly Hall against a backdrop of the iconic serpentine stone.
Mr Biden made the case that the biggest issues facing the world – from the coronavirus pandemic to climate change – can only be resolved through cooperation between countries with differing national interests. He said that the world is facing a major change in its history.
“Our shared grief is a poignant reminder that our collective future will depend on our ability to recognize our common humanity and act together,” Mr Biden said, referring to the millions lost during the pandemic. He predicted that the next decade “will quite literally determine our future.”
He encouraged competition among rising powers, but insisted he was not looking for “a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs.”
“In my view, all the major powers in the world have a duty to carefully manage their relationships so that they do not move from responsible competition to conflict,” the president said.
Mr Biden, now eight months into his presidency, campaigned to restore US alliances and relied heavily on his foreign-policy experience as a former vice president and senator. During his first trip abroad last spring, he argued that “America is back” on the world stage.
In recent weeks, Mr Biden has faced criticism both at home and abroad for how the US withdrew troops from Afghanistan as well as a drone strike that mistakenly killed Afghan civilians.
In his speech, Mr Biden pointed to a UN Security Council resolution passed this summer urging the Taliban to provide safe passage for those wishing to leave the country. He called for respect for human rights, including “the right of women and girls to use their full talents”.
Mr Biden said the US would continue to defend its interests and fight terrorism, but stressed that any military mission must have clear objectives, the consent of the American people and horse-trading from American allies.
“US military power should be our tool of last resort, not our first,” he said.
Meanwhile, US ties with France last week sparked by Australia saying it would scrap a multi-billion-dollar submarine deal with France to pursue a similar agreement with the US and Britain. Ties drew back their ambassadors to Washington and Australia, and the French foreign minister called the agreement a “stab in the back”.
The Biden administration is working to shift the international focus to Asia and counter China’s global influence. Mr Biden will convene a summit on Friday with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan – a coalition called the Quad – and hold one-on-one meetings with the countries’ leaders.
The policy emphasis on the Pacific Rim and the Indian Ocean, following earlier efforts in that direction by the Trump and Obama administrations, puts the US alongside China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council that is expected to play a major role. is demanding. United Nations Organization.
Mr Biden did not mention China by name, but the country was the subject of his comments. The president called for transparent and sustainable investment in global infrastructure, criticizing “projects that promote low-quality or corruption” in a tacit rebuke of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. The Group of Seven Wealthy Countries earlier unveiled a competitive global infrastructure programme. The year called Build Back Better World.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in an interview with the Associated Press this week, called on Washington to mend its poor relations with Beijing, warning of a Cold War between the countries.
“We need to avoid a Cold War at all costs that will be different from the previous one, and probably more dangerous and more difficult to manage,” Mr Guterres said.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters on Friday that US relations with China are “complicated, and it goes without saying that there are tensions, but there are areas where we have been able to cooperate.” She said that “this does not mean that we ignore areas where we have disputes, such as human rights issues.”
Seeking to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Mr Biden reiterated his interest in returning to full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal if Iran is willing to do so. And he voiced his support for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
The president also emphasized global human rights, pledging that the US would spend $10 billion to end hunger and invest in food systems around the world.
Mr Biden will hold a virtual summit on Wednesday with heads of state and global health officials on the coronavirus. During the event, world leaders are expected to commit to vaccinate 70% of the world’s population against COVID-19 within a year, according to a person familiar with the draft goals outlined by the administration.
The president is scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the White House on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to speak with French President Emmanuel Macron in the coming days following a public spat between the two countries.
The annual UN gathering last year was largely virtual, and attendance has been limited this year, with several heads of state and other top officials delivering messages by video. This year US diplomats asked countries to limit the size of their delegations.
Heads of state and their allies must be vaccinated upon entering the assembly hall and reaching the podium. But UN officials will not enforce the rule, relying instead on the “honor system”.
In his remarks, Mr Biden encouraged countries to adopt more ambitious national plans to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and pressured wealthy countries to help developing countries move away from fossil fuels.
Mr Biden said the US would ask Congress to double down on public and international funding to help developing countries cope with the effects of climate change.
The president said earlier this year that the US wants to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions by 50% to 52% from 2005 levels by 2030. The year 2005 is a common baseline for such climate goals.
Mr Guterres warned on Monday that the upcoming climate summit in Glasgow has a “high risk of failure” unless world leaders take stronger measures to curb emissions. “That’s why today I ask leaders to make sure that COP 26 is a success and it is necessary to ensure it. This is a true turning point,” Mr. Guterres said.
William Mauldin and Timothy Pucco contributed to this article.
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