United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon opened the world's largest gathering of world leaders in New York with ominous tones and dire warnings of global terrorism, calling 2014 "a terrible year for the principals in the United Nations Charter."

The 69^th United Nations General Assembly is expected to draw about 140 heads of states over the course of six days, The New York Times reported.

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The summit comes in the wake of airstrikes launched by the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State terror group and the Khorasan network in Syria and Iraq.

In his opening speech, Ban tried to make the case that violent elements have attacked the rule of law and human rights by enumerating the many atrocities made against the innocents. These include beheadings, persecution and deliberate starvation of civilians, deadly assaults against U.N. shelters, hospitals and convoys.

His address referred to the protracted conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, the emerging conflicts in South Sudan and Central African Republic, the terrorist groups in Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, and growing terrorism threat from the Middle East.

The U.N. chief suggested that the year has been bleak, with the horizon of hope darkened by unspeakable crimes against women, children, minorities and the innocents.

He said in Iraq and Syria, whose territories have been seized by the Muslim fundamentalist Islamic State group, "new depths of barbarity" are witnessed every day.

Devastating atrocity crimes have spread in the region, causing immense suffering and misery among those brutalized and overran by extremist fighters.

The ghosts of Cold War, he said, have come back to haunt the world with Russian President Vladimir Putin coercing Ukraine in an attempt to expand territories.

This was echoed in the speech of U.S. President Barack Obama whose strongly worded remarks warn of making Russia pay a heavy price if it refuses to change its course.

The U.N. secretary general rebuked world leaders and reminded them of the relevance the United Nations has in protecting peace.

He urged them to answer the call of people who "are crying out for protection from greed and inequality."

Tags69th United Nations General Assembly, global terrorism, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh, Israel-Palestine, russia-ukraine