World leaders are converging on United Nations headquarters in New York for the high-level week of the 81st session of the General Assembly, with the general debate running from September 22 to 26 and resuming on September 28, 2026. The official theme is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
Key Agenda Items
Conflicts are expected to dominate discussions, including the ongoing situation in the Middle East involving Iran, Gaza, and Houthi threats to shipping routes, as well as the war in Ukraine. Other flashpoints such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar are also likely to feature. Economic pressures from disrupted supply chains, rising energy prices, and inequality will be addressed alongside climate change impacts, including sea-level rise and the need for a just transition.
Artificial intelligence has emerged as a prominent new topic, with calls for international guardrails and a dedicated high-level Security Council meeting planned. UN reform, including changes to the Security Council, remains a focus following an agreed reform package, though implementation challenges persist. The race to succeed Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term ends December 31, 2026, will drive behind-the-scenes diplomacy.
Notable Speakers
Approximately 130 heads of state and government are expected to address the assembly. UN Secretary-General António Guterres will deliver opening remarks, followed by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as the first national speaker and U.S. President Donald Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are scheduled for September 23, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to speak on September 24.
High-Level Side Events
Several thematic meetings are scheduled, including one on climate action and the just transition on September 23, the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development the same day, sea-level rise on September 24, pandemic preparedness on September 25, and the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration on September 28. A high-level plenary on eliminating nuclear weapons is set for September 29.
Much of the week’s significance will lie in bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines, where leaders can advance specific diplomatic initiatives amid the formal proceedings.
