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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| UN chief calls for global action | UN chief calls for global action |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| UN chief Ban Ki-moon has told global leaders the world faces "daunting challenges" from tackling climate change to ending conflict in Darfur. | |
| Opening the UN general assembly, he said the world body needed to adapt and focus not on rhetoric but on results. | Opening the UN general assembly, he said the world body needed to adapt and focus not on rhetoric but on results. |
| US President George W Bush used his 15 minutes at the podium to highlight human rights violations, naming Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Iran. | US President George W Bush used his 15 minutes at the podium to highlight human rights violations, naming Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Iran. |
| The French president said a nuclear Iran could destabilise world security. | |
| I expect the year ahead to be among the most challenging in our history - together we can make it one of the most successful Ban Ki-moon | |
| Nicolas Sarkozy said: "Iran has the right to have nuclear energy. But allowing Iran to have nuclear weapons would mean an unacceptable risk for regional and world stability." | |
| He went on to say that there would be no world peace if the international community showed "weakness in the face of the proliferation of nuclear weapons." | |
| Iran's controversial leader is expected to address the assembly later. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was in an uncompromising mood on Monday in a speech at New York's Columbia University. | |
| He argued for further research on the Holocaust and insisted that his country was entitled to its nuclear programme, which he said was entirely peaceful. | He argued for further research on the Holocaust and insisted that his country was entitled to its nuclear programme, which he said was entirely peaceful. |
| Uncompromising | Uncompromising |
| Addressing the general assembly for the first time as UN chief, Mr Ban called for "an internal climate of change" at the international body to deal with a "fractured world". | Addressing the general assembly for the first time as UN chief, Mr Ban called for "an internal climate of change" at the international body to deal with a "fractured world". |
| Mr Ban highlighted the conflict in Darfur as a priority for action"I expect the year ahead to be among the most challenging in our history. And I am sure that, together, we can make it one of the most successful. | |
| "We need to pay less attention to rhetoric, and more attention to results - to getting things done," he said. | "We need to pay less attention to rhetoric, and more attention to results - to getting things done," he said. |
| He stressed that peace in the Middle East was vital to regional and world stability, and insisted that "no stone would be left unturned to end the tragedy in Darfur". | |
| He also called on Burma's military leaders to show restraint in the face of continued pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks. | He also called on Burma's military leaders to show restraint in the face of continued pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks. |
| This line was echoed by President Bush, who said Americans were "outraged by the situation in Burma". | This line was echoed by President Bush, who said Americans were "outraged by the situation in Burma". |
| He announced "tighter" economic sanctions against the junta and urged other nations to apply pressure on the leaders of Burma's "19-year reign of fear". | He announced "tighter" economic sanctions against the junta and urged other nations to apply pressure on the leaders of Burma's "19-year reign of fear". |
| Shift in tone | Shift in tone |
| The central theme of the US president's speech was the struggle against extremism. | |
| He focused on the themes that have dominated much of his presidency: the need to spread freedom, to reward advocates of democracy and to isolate regimes whose policies run counter to what he sees as the tide of history. | |
| Mr Bush contrasted those who were seeking the path of democracy: Lebanon, Iraq and those he dubbed moderate or mainstream Palestinian leaders, as opposed to the brutal regimes of North Korea, Syria and Iran. | |
| The ritual of the general assembly allows each country's head of state or government - though some are represented by their foreign minister - to speak for 15 minutes. | |
| The will be nearly 200 speeches over several days. Each country determines the issues that it wants to raise. | |
| There is no agenda as such, but the speeches of key countries are closely watched for any evidence of an inflection or shift in their foreign policies. | There is no agenda as such, but the speeches of key countries are closely watched for any evidence of an inflection or shift in their foreign policies. |