Global leaders met over the last two days in New York City for a historic climate summit. This specific moment struck a chord across the globe. The final group photo was a fitting testament to a truly impressive gathering. It featured Prabowo Subianto, defense minister of Indonesia, Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian Federation, Xi Jinping, president of China, and Kim Jong-un, supreme leader of North Korea. This photo well represents a rare moment of agreement and partisan unity among these four major leaders. It is an indictment of the geopolitical landscape we find ourselves in today.
The summit drew unprecedented media interest. It included an extraordinary cast of important leaders from every corner of the world, meeting in an undisclosed location. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of Kazakhstan, was one of the attendees. He stood with his peers to address the most urgent challenges, like the war in Ukraine and food insecurity. Fostering collaboration The event highlighted the importance of fostering collaboration across nation-states during an era of both unprecedented potential and unforeseen peril.
Joining this remarkable delegation was Peng Liyuan, first lady of China, who made the journey with her husband Xi Jinping. Her presence contributed an important cultural dimension to the gathering, emphasizing the role of soft diplomacy in developing interpersonal connections across borders. Family members of leaders, such as Zahra Pezeshkian, daughter of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, are important actors on the diplomatic stage. Their participation illustrates the personal ties that can make for more fruitful diplomatic engagements.
Together with other heads of state, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, president of Turkmenistan, took part in this important event. Retinue – Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva, the vice-president and first lady of Azerbaijan. Their participation is a sign that they, too, share a commitment to regional cooperation and stability.
Turkey had a notably powerful presence at the event. Energy and natural resources minister Alparslan Bayraktar, and foreign affairs minister Hakan Fidan stressed their country’s strategic interests in expanding their energy relationships and using their new diplomatic leverage. These leaders enriched discussions on these and other issues with first-hand perspectives, ranging from developing energy security partnerships to foster regional partners.
The summit saw Li Junhua, the UN undersecretary-general for economic and social affairs, highlighting the role of international organizations in fostering dialogue among member states. His engagement specifically highlights the role of effective multilateral cooperation in tackling increasingly urgent global challenges, from climate change to rising inequalities.
Celso Amorim, chief foreign policy adviser to then-Brazilian president Lula, rounded out this motley crew. His presence marks Brazil’s ongoing willingness to engage with both emerging and established powers in the mutual search for collective progress.
The coming together of these two leaders in one shot invites speculation about what course the future of international relations may take. Diplomacy advocates were heartened—this could be it, they thought, for diplomacy’s inflection point. Nations are swimming in very choppy waters in terms of these competitive trade relations and national security issues.