Reside Coverage of UN Basic Assembly: Biden and Zelensky Set to Speak at Summit in New York

Traditionally, the initial speaker at the United Nations Basic Assembly is from Brazil, followed by the host nation. This tradition began when Brazil stepped forward as the initial speaker in the early days when no nation volunteered for this function. More than time, it has come to be customary for Brazil to initiate the proceedings.

Immediately after Brazil and the host nation have spoken, leaders or representatives from all other nations get their turn to address the assembly. They have the alternative to speak in any of the six official languages of the UN: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, or Spanish. Whilst speakers are advised to limit their statements to beneath 15 minutes, this guideline is frequently disregarded. Notably, Fidel Castro of Cuba holds the record for the longest speech, lasting 4-and-a-half hours, delivered in 1960. Luckily, we do not count on any similarly lengthy speeches right now.

As a rough estimation, we anticipate hearing from President Biden at roughly 9:45 ET / 14:45 BST, followed by President Zelensky at about 12:45 ET / 17:45 BST. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that these timings are topic to modify, as they frequently do.