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The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly opened this week under the theme of restoring trust and managing transformation with a focus on delivering for all, the world body announced on its official website. Secretary-General António Guterres, who is set to leave his post at the end of the year, delivered an opening address that highlighted the multiple crises facing the international community. Nearly 130 heads of state and government are scheduled to speak during the general debate that runs through September 28, according to the UN high-level week schedule. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva delivered the first national address on Tuesday followed by US President Donald Trump, a preliminary speakers list published by The National showed.
Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine are expected to dominate much of the conversation as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses the assembly on Wednesday while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky makes his appeal for continued support, CNN reported on September 21. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to speak on Thursday amid the fallout from the US-Israeli war with Iran that has disrupted global energy markets and shipping routes, a New York Times assessment found. Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez will also make her debut at the podium while her predecessor Nicolás Maduro remains in custody in the United States, according to diplomats cited by multiple outlets. The UN Security Council is anticipated to hold separate high-level meetings on the Middle East, Ukraine and artificial intelligence during the week.
Artificial intelligence has risen to the top of the agenda for the first time as a major focus with Guterres hosting events to push for global guardrails on the rapidly developing technology, the UN priorities document stated. A high-level briefing for the Security Council on AI threats to global security and stability is planned alongside a separate invitation-only gathering that brings together heads of state and technology leaders, The New York Times reported. Concerns about emerging AI models potentially slipping beyond human control have intensified in recent months with industry figures calling for coordinated international action, according to a Channel News Asia summary of the proceedings. The outgoing secretary-general has described the need to avoid a race to the bottom that could lead to global disaster.
Climate action forms another central pillar of the high-level week with a dedicated summit convened by Guterres on September 23 to strengthen cooperation on emissions reductions and a just transition for vulnerable nations, the official UN overview indicated. Leaders from major economies, energy producers and developing countries are expected to participate in the event that coincides with the 40th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development, a UN press release distributed via official channels noted. The gathering occurs against the backdrop of unpredictable climate emergencies that have widened inequalities and strained multilateral institutions, as outlined in the session president’s priorities document. Side events including the SDG Media Zone will feature panel discussions on solutions to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals which remain largely off track.
Reform of the United Nations itself will feature prominently in both public speeches and private diplomacy as member states consider updates to the Security Council and other key bodies where veto powers remain concentrated among the five permanent members, an International Crisis Group briefing published on September 14 found. The process to select a successor to Guterres is already underway with candidates including Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica and several others actively lobbying for support ahead of a decision expected before the end of the year, Foreign Policy reported. Funding cuts and big-power wrangling have left the organization hobbled in its peacemaking efforts across more than 100 active conflicts, the Crisis Group analysis concluded. Bangladesh’s Khalilur Rahman is presiding over the session and has organized the program around six interlocking pillars that link peace, development, rights and multilateral trust.
Bilateral meetings and dealmaking on the sidelines of the formal sessions will bring together leaders from Gulf Arab states with Trump to discuss the next phase of the Iran conflict while other groupings address economic pressures and supply chain disruptions, CNN stated in its preview published the day before the opening. The density of world leaders in New York creates opportunities for coordination on issues ranging from pandemic preparedness to sea-level rise that are also scheduled for dedicated high-level meetings, the World Economic Forum summary of the agenda noted. A BBC video titled “Watch: What to expect from the UN General Assembly” underscored the scale of diplomatic activity expected throughout the week as the international community seeks collective responses to interconnected challenges.
