Diplomacy

UN General Assembly 2026 Opens in New York with High-Level Debate

AI SUMMARY

Nearly 130 heads of state and government are gathering in New York for the high-level general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

The high-level general debate opens on Tuesday, September 22, and runs through September 28, with no sessions on Sunday.
Sessions operate in two daily slots from 9am to 2:45pm and 3pm to 9pm local time.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opens the session with his annual report and final address, followed by UNGA President Khalilur Rahman.
Brazil opens the debate by tradition, followed by United States President Donald Trump as the host country.
The UNGA is held at the UN headquarters in Manhattan, New York.
The US denied visas to Palestinian officials for the second consecutive year, leading President Mahmoud Abbas to address the assembly via prerecorded video.
The 81st UNGA operates under the theme 'Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all'.
Scheduled high-level meetings address climate action, the Right to Development, sea level rise, pandemic preparedness, the Durban Declaration, and nuclear disarmament.
Seven candidates remain in the running to succeed outgoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term ends on December 31.
The UN currently has 193 member states and two non-member observer states.