Home Living Beyond Borders GZERO World Signal In 60 Seconds Puppet Regime GZERO World Podcast Contact Us About Us Careers Privacy Policy Terms

The Graphic Truth: A virtual UN General Assembly

September 20, 2020

Carlos Santamaria

and

Annie Gugliotta

This year's United General Assembly will be very different. Hotels in New York will not be full of famous heads of state, metal detectors, or US secret service agents as the coronavirus pandemic has turned the world's largest diplomatic gathering into a mostly online affair to enforce social distancing. A virtual UNGA requires a 20th century institution — which turns 75 and still thinks in analog in many ways — to rapidly embrace 21st century technology. How will UNGA adapt to its new virtual setting? Here are a few things that will change.

GZEROMEDIA

Hard Numbers: Hurricane Melissa’s death toll rises, sectarian violence displaces hundreds of thousands in Syria, Coffee prices soar, More jewel thieves arrested

A woman carries water out of her home, after floods caused by the outer bands of Hurricane Melissa killed several people, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, October 29, 2025.

REUTERS/Egeder Pq Fildor

23: Twenty-three people have died in Haiti after Hurricane Melissa passed near the island, adding more anguish to a country that has been in crisis for most of the past decade and without a president since Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021.

The gaps in the Trump-Xi trade truce

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, 2025.

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

After months of escalating tensions, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a trade truce at their meeting in South Korea on Thursday. Several long-term issues remain unresolved, though.

GZEROMEDIA

Walmart is supporting American jobs by selling American products

Walmart

When Walmart stocks its shelves with homegrown products like Fischer & Wieser’s peach jam, it’s not just selling food — it’s creating opportunity. Over two-thirds of what Walmart buys is made, grown, or assembled in America, fueling jobs and growth in communities nationwide. Walmart’s $350 billion commitment to US manufacturing is supporting 750,000 jobs and empowering small businesses to sell more, hire more, and strengthen their hometowns. From farms to shelves, Walmart’s investment keeps local businesses thriving. Learn how Walmart's commitment to US manufacturing is supporting 750K American jobs.

About Us Careers Press Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use

The Graphic Truth: A virtual UN General Assembly

GZEROMEDIA

More from GZERO Media

What the Trump-Xi meeting means for US-China relations

In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer weighs in on the Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea, calling it “a truce, not a breakthrough.”

Live premiere Nov. 3: Global Stage at the Abu Dhabi Global AI Summit

LIVE PREMIERE: What does it take to build AI economies? Our global experts explore this question, touching on data infrastructure, skilling, and governance, in a conversation at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Global AI Summit. Watch on Monday, November 3 at 11 am ET at gzeromedia.com/globalstage.

Hard Numbers: Hurricane Melissa’s death toll rises, sectarian violence displaces hundreds of thousands in Syria, Coffee prices soar, More jewel thieves arrested

23: Twenty-three people have died in Haiti after Hurricane Melissa passed near the island, adding more anguish to a country that has been in crisis for most of the past decade and without a president since Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021.

What We’re Watching: Canada’s government on the brink again, Far-right setback in the Netherlands, Iran’s capital city on the move?

Canada’s government could collapse next week

The gaps in the Trump-Xi trade truce

After months of escalating tensions, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a trade truce at their meeting in South Korea on Thursday. Several long-term issues remain unresolved, though.

GZEROMEDIA

Why the UN needs women in leadership

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet says global leadership needs a different kind of leader.

Updating the UN at 80: A panel conversation from the 2025 Paris Peace Forum

Wage gaps limit young households

Credit and debit card spending rose 1.7%, but weak wage growth and a cooling labor market still limit young consumers' buying power. Will lower housing costs offer relief? Subscribe to Bank of America for the full outlook.

The world’s response to America’s Revolution

Last week, I wrote about the political revolution that President Donald Trump has launched in the United States and how it has made America a fundamentally unreliable player on the world stage.

Walmart is supporting American jobs by selling American products

The Graphic Truth: A virtual UN General Assembly

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer weighs in on the Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea, calling it “a truce, not a breakthrough.”

LIVE PREMIERE: What does it take to build AI economies? Our global experts explore this question, touching on data infrastructure, skilling, and governance, in a conversation at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Global AI Summit. Watch on Monday, November 3 at 11 am ET at gzeromedia.com/globalstage.

23: Twenty-three people have died in Haiti after Hurricane Melissa passed near the island, adding more anguish to a country that has been in crisis for most of the past decade and without a president since Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021.

Canada’s government could collapse next week

After months of escalating tensions, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a trade truce at their meeting in South Korea on Thursday. Several long-term issues remain unresolved, though.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet says global leadership needs a different kind of leader.

Credit and debit card spending rose 1.7%, but weak wage growth and a cooling labor market still limit young consumers' buying power. Will lower housing costs offer relief? Subscribe to Bank of America for the full outlook.

Last week, I wrote about the political revolution that President Donald Trump has launched in the United States and how it has made America a fundamentally unreliable player on the world stage.