UN stage set for militants, migrants, Pope and Putin

UNITED NATIONS—World leaders will gather for their annual meeting at the United Nations starting on Friday as Europe faces a flood of asylum seekers, many fleeing Syria’s civil war in the worst humanitarian crisis since the world body was created 70 years ago.

Islamic State will also top the agenda. US President Barack Obama will host a counterterrorism meeting, with over 100 countries invited, that will address Islamic State, foreign terrorist fighters and violent extremism. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will chair a high-level UN Security Council meeting on counterterrorism.

But before the marathon of speeches in the 193-member General Assembly starts on Monday, Pope Francis will address the United Nations on Friday ahead of a three-day summit with more than 150 world leaders who are expected to formally adopt a global sustainable development agenda for the next 15 years.

“General Assembly high-level week is always known as diplomatic speeddating, but I think this year is breaking records,” said the US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power.

The number of world leaders attending the event is believed to be the highest in UN history, she said.

The leaders making rare appearances for the United Nations’ 70th anniversary include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Cuban leader Raul Castro and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Xi Jinping, who is in the United States for an official visit this week, will make his UN debut as China’s president.

Francis, a strong advocate for action to combat climate change, will be the fifth Pope to address the United Nations.

Putin will address the assembly on Monday. While he has no formal meeting planned with Obama, there will be opportunity for the two to speak on the sidelines.

“Putin will use his first visit to the United Nations in a decade to defend his support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad forcefully, but Western and Arab governments will respond equally toughly,” said Richard Gowan, who teaches at Columbia University. “Nasty debates over Syria could poison the atmosphere.”

Amid an uproar over the treatment of refugees and migrants by some European countries, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged European leaders to show compassion. He will host a meeting of world leaders on Sept. 30 to discuss the global migration crisis.