Saadet Gökce
23 September 2026•Update: 23 September 2026
Timor-Leste's President Jose Ramos-Horta expressed support Wednesday for a two-state solution in the Middle East.
Timor-Leste joins the vast majority of UN member states to "reaffirm our belief that the two-state solution is the only viable solution: for Israelis to live in peace with themselves and with the Palestinians, and for the Palestinians to live in peace with themselves and with the Israelis," he said.
"The risks are too high to continue an unstable status quo, the opportunity to do better sits before us, and the choice is an international order falling to pieces or rising to peace," he added.
Ramos-Horta said the world has become numb to the killing of Palestinians, despite witnessing the suffering live and having international institutions capable of responding.
He said the failure to act risks making civilian deaths, violations of international law and war the new normal, warning that "numbness is not neutral" and "silence is not safety."
Ramos-Horta said trillions of dollars are spent "perfecting forms of death" rather than on basic needs, and urged US President Donald Trump to invite all nuclear powers to discuss No First Strike, regular leader-level communication and nuclear disarmament, with the goal of eliminating arsenals within a decade.
He also urged comprehensive reform and expansion in the permanent and non-permanent categories.
Palau president urges grant-based, concessional financing for small island states
Palau President Surangel Whipps urged grant-based and concessional financing for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to battle climate change.
"Those who contributed the least to this climate crisis, yet confront the worst threats of rising sea levels, must not be burdened with debt simply to purchase a life jacket for their survival," he told the General Assembly.
Whipps said Palau's latest climate commitment targets a 44% reduction in fossil fuel use by 2035, supported by renewable energy generation and policies aimed at making the transition affordable and reliable.
He also said the Pacific "must never be treated as an empty expanse for strategic competition or tests of military power," referring to China's ballistic missile launch in the region earlier this year.
