UN General Assembly president says multilateralism under threat

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak on Friday warned that "multilateralism is under threat."

Speaking to a General Assembly meeting on his priorities for 2018, Lajcak said that "we don't have to look very far to see that multilateralism is under threat."

He called for collective action to reverse the trend. "We all have a responsibility to push back, against this trend. I am committed to doing my part. And I hope all of you, sitting here today, will join me. And I hope that we can toast to our success in September!"

Under U.S. President Donald Trump, the United States has withdrawn from many global commitments, including the Paris climate agreement and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Global Compact on Migration.

The U.S. exit has triggered concerns across the world. Lajcak, however, did not mention any countries while issuing the warning in his statement. Enditem