UN General Assembly: Why world leaders are meeting in New York

World leaders are gathering in New York this week for the annual high-level debate at the UN General Assembly, which begins Tuesday and marks the start of the 81st session. The meeting brings together representatives from the UN's 193 member states to address global issues. The speaking order follows tradition, with Brazil first and the US second, then based on hierarchy. Leaders are asked to keep speeches to a voluntary 15-minute limit, though some have historically spoken much longer. This year's theme is "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation," but leaders will focus on topics including artificial intelligence, Iran, Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, and Sudan. Other key issues include the race to appoint a new UN Secretary-General, as Antonio Guterres finishes his term in December 2026, and climate change, following a month where global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.