Nearly 130 heads of state and government are due at the United Nations in New York this week, the largest in-person turnout the world body expects for the 81st General Assembly. The high-level General Debate opens on Tuesday, September 22. Brazil speaks first, as it has since 1955, when it volunteered because no one else would. Donald Trump, as host-country president, is expected to follow, probably around 9:45am local time.
The session itself began on September 8, when Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh took office as Assembly president. Its theme sounds like a plea: “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
Who is in the room, and who is not
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opens the debate by introducing his annual report. It is expected to be his final address, since his second term ends on December 31. Rahman then formally opens the floor.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in New York. After a phone call with Trump on Sunday, he said the two had agreed to meet on the sidelines, with the peace process, de-escalation, energy security, food security and the protection of civilians on the list. Jordan’s King Abdullah II is attending and plans meetings with other leaders. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived Monday with a delegation, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
China’s Xi Jinping will not be there. He is flying to Washington instead for a state visit, and the White House said Trump will receive him on Thursday. Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu is also staying away; Vice President Kashim Shettima, who travelled on Sunday, will deliver the national statement.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will address the Assembly by prerecorded video after member states voted to allow it. For the second year running, the United States has denied visas to Palestinian officials. The UN says that breaches the Host Country Agreement, which obliges Washington to let leaders travel to the meetings.
The side meetings
Around the speeches, the calendar is crowded. On September 23 come a high-level meeting on climate action and a just transition and another marking 40 years since the Declaration on the Right to Development. Sea-level rise follows on September 24, pandemic preparedness on September 25, the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration against racism on September 28, and eliminating nuclear weapons on September 29.
The debate runs through Saturday, September 26, pauses on Sunday and resumes on Monday, September 28, in two daily sessions. Speakers are asked to keep to 15 minutes. Many do not.
Diplomats expect speeches on the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, artificial intelligence and the UN’s funding squeeze. They are also watching the race to succeed Guterres. Seven candidates remain, four women and three men, including Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, who led the latest informal Security Council vote with nine of 15 members encouraging her candidacy. Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet withdrew on Saturday after winning support from only one member. The Council must settle on a name, free of any permanent-member veto, before the Assembly can appoint anyone, and that is not expected this week.
Sources
- UN General Assembly 2026: When is it, who is speaking and when? | United Nations News | Al Jazeera
- UNGA 2026: What To Expect As World Leaders Gather In New York And Who’s Missing | Outlook India
