The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), as one of the largest diplomatic events in the world, is accompanied each year by sidelines and unexpected events. This year, Ahmad al-Shaara, the President of Syria, was recognized as the "most illiterate person" of the assembly. During the speeches, he was seen watching social media, particularly Instagram posts.
Interesting and Sideline Moments
It seems that al-Shaara is not the only person who went off the sidelines at this assembly. In 2012, Hillary Clinton, the then U.S. Secretary of State, was seen entertaining herself during a UN Security Council meeting, sketching on her notes during the speeches. She drew various shapes including circles and spirals in these sketches.
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However, perhaps the best political artist in this regard is Yuyoung-ha, the representative of South Korea, who in 2025 during a parliamentary oversight session, was busy drawing a gorilla on her laptop during the speeches. This image clearly shows that attention can easily drift in such sessions.
Music and Controversial Choices
This year's assembly also progressed with interesting music choices. Before Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, took the stage to talk about Greenland, the song "Send in the Clowns" was played. Denmark announced that it had no role in the selection of this song, and a spokesperson for the European Clowns Association refrained from commenting on the matter due to the absence of their father.
Overall, the United Nations General Assembly has always been a scene for unexpected moments and political sidelines. In 2009, Muammar Gaddafi, the former leader of Libya, spoke for 96 minutes and tore a page from the UN Charter during his speech. Also, in 2015, Robert Mugabe, the former President of Zimbabwe, shouted into the microphone in defense of his anti-LGBTQ+ positions: "We are not homosexuals."
Last year, the UN also resorted to using IKEA furniture due to the cost of living crisis, depicting a scene where an LACK table was placed between Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the Commission, and Trump. This issue highlights the existing weaknesses in the UN and the challenges it has faced in recent times.
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