UNITED NATIONS -- World leaders urged a renewed commitment to multilateralism and the founding principles of the UN Charter at a special session at the General Assembly on Monday, marking the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.

The theme of this year's historic meeting — "Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development, and human rights" — was emphasized in several speeches, as was the need to strengthen the UN Charter, which was born from the ruins of war. The one-hour commemoration mixed historical reflection with urgent appeals.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN's guiding principles are "under assault as never before," pointing to conflicts, hunger and climate chaos.

"To meet these challenges, we must not only defend the United Nations, we must strengthen it," he said, highlighting reform initiatives including the Pact for the Future and the UN80 process. "The only way forward is together. Let us rise to this moment with clarity, courage, and conviction. And let us realize the promise of peace."

UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said the UN's 80th year comes at a turning point. "We must choose the right path; to show the world that we can be better together," she said, adding that "better together" is more than a motto, but a hard-won truth and a commitment for the next 80 years.

Three eminent speakers — former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, and renowned journalist Maria Ressa — pressed for action on peace, sustainable development, and information integrity.

Sirleaf warned that "commemoration without candor is unaffordable" and called for commitments that protect civilians and empower youth.

Brundtland said more than 80 percent of Sustainable Development Goals are off track, stressing that the UN remains indispensable for climate and gender equality.

Ressa described an "information Armageddon" driven by disinformation and artificial intelligence, calling information integrity the "mother of all battles."