UN General Assembly opens 81st session with world leaders in New York

The general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly opened Tuesday in New York, with world leaders and senior officials participating from September 22 to 28 under the theme "Restoring Trust and Managing Transformation: A UN that Delivers for All." Discussions will cover the Middle East, the genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, global security, climate change, and development. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan represents Türkiye and will hold bilateral meetings with leaders and UN officials. The debate opened with speeches by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Assembly President Khalilur Rahman. Brazil spoke first, followed by the US. According to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, 71 heads of state, 45 heads of government, 50 ministers, 11 vice-presidents, and one crown prince are expected to participate.