af1c6256fb868210VgnVCM100000e56411acRCRDapproved/thenational/Articles/Migration/2009-Q3Pageantry and uncertainty this week at the UNce1c6256fb868210VgnVCM100000e56411ac____Beyond the theatrics, the General Assembly certainly has merits: it sets the diplomatic tone for the year, it gives prominence to otherwise obscure issues and allows countries to unveil new plans to work together.<p>The heads of state who gather this week in New York for the UN General Assembly will indulge in elaborate receptions and political glad-handing. Some will probably use this opportunity to stir up controversy and grab headlines - the Libyan and Iranian presidents Muammar Qaddafi and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad immediately come to mind. But hopefully, a few will seize the moment to engage in the multilateral diplomacy essential for agreements concerning Iran and North Korea's nuclear ambitions as well as a Palestinian state.</p> <p>This annual event has rarely witnessed significant breakthroughs. Expressions of support for global co-operation are often forgotten as soon as the opening speech is delivered. But the sheer number of high profile participants who would not voluntarily meet anywhere else, the attention of the global media - and even the narrow doorways of the UN building - combine to create a frenetic atmosphere. But beyond the theatrics, the General Assembly certainly has merits: it sets the diplomatic tone for the year, it gives prominence to otherwise obscure issues and allows countries to unveil new plans to work together.</p> <p>This will be the first General Assembly that the US president Barack Obama attends. In a bid to repair the damage done by his predecessor's snub of multilateralism, Mr Obama has invested political capital and time in an all-out campaign of engagement, stirring accusations of naivety and weakness at home. Such goodwill will be on full display in New York when Mr Obama takes part in some of the session's most important meetings.</p> <p>Mr Obama has decided to join multilateral talks with Iran despite an Iranian unwillingness to deal with the core issues in good faith, including its nuclear ambitions. Mr Obama's bet may hinge on the performance of Mr Ahmadinejad when he takes to the UN's pulpit. Likewise, after months of North Korean brinkmanship in regard to its nuclear programme, Mr Obama has agreed to hold bilateral talks with the regime in Pyongyang. But there is scant hope that the US, or any other actor, can moderate its behaviour.</p> <p>Then there is the question of Palestine. Mr Obama suffered a setback last week when his peace envoy returned empty-handed from yet another trip to the Levant. But Mr Obama has strong-armed the Palestinian and Israeli leaders into a meeting anyway, in the hope that a show of American resolve can nudge the parties closer. Even if he comes out with nothing, Mr Obama can still claim that he has at least done his part in the difficult business of peacemaking.</p> <p>There will be other, less US-centric issues on the UN table. A year after the financial cataclysm, there is light ahead. But the international response has been mostly uncoordinated, or done so at the level of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The preeminence of informal groupings like the G8 and the G20 have exposed the weakness of the UN, which bodes poorly for the December conference on climate change in Copenhagen. The UN is expected to broker a deal that can balance the often contradictory interests of its members for the greater good, but so far, major nations seem unwilling to commit to significant concessions. Revamping world governance appears but a distant dream. And for an organisation in dire need of reform, the intense criticism directed at its head Ban-Ki Moon does little to boost UN morale.</p> 84YYOPINION2009092100000020090921000000100ARhttp://adedit.ad.atl.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090921/OPINION/709209930570920993020090921100000000