Anna Evstigneeva, the new deputy ambassador at the Russian mission to the UN. She is the first woman to have that role there, although she worked at the mission, including as a political coordinator, from 2011 to 2016. She began her diplomatic career in Oslo. JOHN PENNEY
President Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica wore a mask during his entire video speech to the UN General Assembly high-level debate this year. Of 190 leaders who spoke, only 9 were women. JOHN PENNEY
Vice President Epsy Campbell Barr of Costa Rica. She was among the numerous women vice presidents from Latin America who spoke at the UN’s Beijing+25 commemoration on Oct. 1.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about Covid-19 and the race for a vaccine, among other matters in his UN speech. He started his remarks, however, asking, “For how long will India be kept out of the decision-making structures of the United Nations?”
Besides bragging about his perceived accomplishments and castigating China, President Trump was surprisingly benevolent toward the United Nations in his pre-recorded video speech to the General Assembly opening session. JOHN PENNEY
Fake news alert: President Donald Trump said something vaguely positive about the United Nations during his speech marking the opening of this year’s General Assembly session.
President Stevo Pendarovski of North Macedonia. The mosaic behind him, by a native artist, is titled “Macedonia: The Land of Light.” It is located in the presidential palace. JOHN PENNEY
President Zuzana Caputova of Slovakia was the first woman to speak at the opening of the 75th General Assembly session, more than 50 speakers in. The dearth of women speaking at the virtual gathering generated lament if not outrage on social media sites. JOHN PENNEY
A pre-recorded statement from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s President Sefik Dzaferovic kicked off Day 2 of the 75th General Assembly, and like many other world leaders, he called for heightened multilateralism amid today’s pandemic and global conflicts.
President Trump spoke about seven minutes in his video speech at the United Nations General Assembly opening-day speeches, the same day America’s death toll from the coronavirus hit 200,000. JOHN PENNEY
In Chinese President Xi Jinping’s video to the UN-75 commemoration, he said the “sudden attack of Covid-19 is a grave test for the entire world.” Since the pandemic began in March, at least 31 million cases have been confirmed globally and nearly one million people have died. JOHN PENNEY
Secretary-General António Guterres at the ceremony marking the 59th anniversary of the death of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, a Swede; Sept. 15, 2020. The UN General Assembly begins its formal 75th session this week, with no world leaders coming to New York City but sending video messages instead. ESKINDER DEBEBE/UN PHOTO
