<p>The summit -- the first time the 15-member council will be chaired by an American president -- comes as world powers step up efforts to curb Iran and North Korea's nuclear ambitions just as the US and Russia have pledged to cut their own nuclear arsenals.<br />Obama, who has set combating nuclear proliferation as a priority and is committed, unlike his predecessor George W Bush, to pursue a multilateral course, will chair the meeting as his country holds the rotating presidency of the council this month.<br /><br />Prior to the summit, the US president will make his United Nations debut this week, attending a climate change summit hosted by UN chief Ban Ki-moon Tuesday.<br />He will then step into the fray of high-stakes Middle East diplomacy by hosting a trilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas to spur them to resume stalled peace talks.<br /><br />As the UN General Assembly kicks off its general debate on Wednesday, Obama will deliver his maiden speech to the 192-member body and will be immediately followed at the rostrum by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, who is visiting UN headquarters for the first time in his 40 years in power.</p>
<p>The summit -- the first time the 15-member council will be chaired by an American president -- comes as world powers step up efforts to curb Iran and North Korea's nuclear ambitions just as the US and Russia have pledged to cut their own nuclear arsenals.<br />Obama, who has set combating nuclear proliferation as a priority and is committed, unlike his predecessor George W Bush, to pursue a multilateral course, will chair the meeting as his country holds the rotating presidency of the council this month.<br /><br />Prior to the summit, the US president will make his United Nations debut this week, attending a climate change summit hosted by UN chief Ban Ki-moon Tuesday.<br />He will then step into the fray of high-stakes Middle East diplomacy by hosting a trilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas to spur them to resume stalled peace talks.<br /><br />As the UN General Assembly kicks off its general debate on Wednesday, Obama will deliver his maiden speech to the 192-member body and will be immediately followed at the rostrum by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, who is visiting UN headquarters for the first time in his 40 years in power.</p>