World Leaders Convene for 81st UN General Assembly

The 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly convened in New York on September 22, 2026, under the theme "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All." Presided over by President Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh, the session opens amid severe global instability, including conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and a seven-month war between the United States and Iran that has disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

António Guterres opened the session with a state of the world address, urging international cooperation and the establishment of safety guardrails for artificial intelligence to avoid a "gigantic disaster." This marks Guterres' final General Assembly before his term ends on December 31. The Security Council remains deadlocked over his successor, with the candidate pool recently narrowed to three individuals from Costa Rica, Guyana, and Argentina.

U.S. President Donald Trump attended the session and is scheduled to address the assembly regarding his war against Tehran. While the U.S. recently paid $725 million in arrears to maintain its voting rights, it still owes billions in contributions. Trump has dismissed AI safety concerns as a "hoax" and a "sick conspiracy." Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the assembly to hold bilateral talks with Trump in Washington.

Other key participants include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Tensions were further highlighted by the U.S. government denying visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov.