High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly’s 81st Session Begins in New York
World
The high-level week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly begins on September 18. The main events will take place at UN Headquarters in New York, while the General Debate will run from September 22 to 28, with a break on September 27.
The theme of the current session is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all.” Bangladesh’s Khalilur Rahman was elected President of the 81st session.
The High-Level Week opens on September 18 with an event focused on the Sustainable Development Goals. The central part of the programme will be the General Debate, where heads of state and government and other senior representatives present their countries’ positions on international issues. The UN says nearly 130 heads of state and government are expected to attend the High-Level Week in person.
Expected participants include US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose address is scheduled for September 26. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong is also expected to attend.
Palestinian participation will also draw attention. The United States has again denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa. The General Assembly has nevertheless allowed him to address the meeting by video.
The programme also includes high-level meetings on climate action and a just transition, sea-level rise, pandemic prevention and other issues.
The session comes amid wider discussions about the role of the multilateral system. General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman has stressed the need to restore trust, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described rebuilding confidence in the international system as a key task.
The High-Level Week opens on September 18 with an event focused on the Sustainable Development Goals. The central part of the programme will be the General Debate, where heads of state and government and other senior representatives present their countries’ positions on international issues. The UN says nearly 130 heads of state and government are expected to attend the High-Level Week in person.
Expected participants include US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose address is scheduled for September 26. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong is also expected to attend.
Palestinian participation will also draw attention. The United States has again denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa. The General Assembly has nevertheless allowed him to address the meeting by video.
The programme also includes high-level meetings on climate action and a just transition, sea-level rise, pandemic prevention and other issues.
The session comes amid wider discussions about the role of the multilateral system. General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman has stressed the need to restore trust, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described rebuilding confidence in the international system as a key task.
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