UN General Assembly 2026: World leaders gather in New York for 81st session

The 81st session of the UN General Assembly opened in New York on September 22, with nearly 130 heads of state and government attending. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the body on Tuesday alongside leaders from Finland, France, and Turkey. The general debate runs through September 26 and resumes September 28, with Brazil opening first by tradition, followed by the US as host nation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Assembly President Khalilur Rahman will open the session, with statements limited to 15 minutes voluntarily. High-level meetings this week cover climate action, sea level rise, pandemic preparedness, and nuclear weapons elimination. Wars in Gaza and Ukraine, AI, and the UN's funding crunch are expected to dominate speeches, alongside succession discussions for Guterres, whose term ends December 31.