The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which sits between September and November every year is always opened by a Leaders’ (is that where the apostrophe was supposed to go) Summit, with the leaders (Princes, Kings, Prime Ministers, Presidents etc) of all 191 member states invited.

The undoubted goal of the 2005 UN Leaders’ Summit was to the need to look seriously towards UN reform, as well as a renewed commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Leaders’ Summit, held last week, has led to a total gridlock on New York City roads with cavalcades of diplomatic BMW’s and Mercedes surrounded by flotillas of Secret Service cars (you know - the guys who are ridiculously armed, and talk into their wrists) ploughing their way through the many city roadblocks. It’s like a movie!

This week is the Foreign Ministers’ of all Member States’ turn to speak to the GA. Minister Downer is expected in town tonight and will speak on Wednesday.

Speeches are 15 minutes long (4 to the hour), and I’m told that after you’ve heard one, you’ve heard them all. For me, so excited to be here, I find that hard to believe. However, speeches tend to be diplomatic to the point of saying nothing of actual substance and are largely for that country’s domestic audience. No matter your country’s thoughts on the speaker’s country, polite clapping is always the go. President Bush, for example, spent 10 minutes talking about hurricane Katrina, and the remaining 5 minutes he talked about terrorism. With the little coverage that the UN gets in domestic media – I suppose it’s far more popular to see President Bush talk about Katrina, than the MDGs.

Although very diplomatic, countries do mate their feelings felt in other ways. When Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe spoke in the GA, members of the Australian delegation left their first bench vacant (every country gets two benches), and New Zealand left both of their benches vacant. Instead, representatives from these countries stood on the side of the GA room. A small sign of disagreement - or just a stretch of the legs.

There were a few speeches that riled some countries. Condoleeza Rice (United States secretary of state) spent a bit of time in her 15 minutes directly chastising Iran for their thoughts and actions on nuclear weapons. Iran returned fire in their Foreign Minister’s speech. Hugo Chavez of Venezuela also has a few interesting words to say to the United States.

By the end of the Leaders’ Summit last Friday, despite most speeches focusing on the urgent need for UN reform and renewal of commitment to the MDGs, very little consensus has been reached by the leaders. I’m told that this wasn’t such a big surprise.

However, an ‘Outcomes Document’ was passed, which, among other things, stated that terrorism was an absolutely unacceptable action. This, despite the inability of the 191 countries to reach consensus on a definition for terrorism.

I was talking to someone from the UN who told me, that there are two ways of looking at the outcome of the Leaders’ Summit. One, was that the UN is a talk-fest and a complete waste of time and money – good only for countries to get on their soapbox. The other way is that it is absolutely incredible that 191 countries can get consensus on anything. I much prefer the second one. My family of 5 had anough trouble choosing what TV channel to watch at night time.

I had lunch with the Aussie Ambassador to the UN, John Dauth, and told them all about this year’s process in getting to the UN. They were very impressed… YEAH!