100 World Leaders In US Next Week For UN Event Despite Covid Concerns

The UN General Assembly will look to build momentum to reach an ambitious climate agreement and seek unity after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, in the shadow of high tension between the US and China.

Some 100 world leaders descend on New York next week in a partial return of the annual UN extravaganza despite Covid concerns, with progress sought on pressing global problems -- starting with the pandemic.

The UN General Assembly will also look to build momentum to reach an ambitious climate agreement and seek unity after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, in the shadow of high tension between the United States and China.

"We need to re-establish confidence. The current geopolitical division in the world is an obstacle," Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told AFP ahead of the summit.

The world "is really in a very dangerous situation," he said. "We need to sound an alarm to wake up political leaders."