Key facts
- World leaders are meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York amid conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and concerns over artificial intelligence.
- US President Donald Trump will address the assembly for the second consecutive year.
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping will skip the UN General Assembly in favor of talks with Trump in Washington.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's term ends in 2026, with no clear successor identified.
- The UN Security Council may hold meetings on Ukraine, AI, and the Middle East.
- The US owes the UN over a billion dollars despite paying $725 million this week.
World leaders are convening at the UN General Assembly in New York this week, with the post-World War Two international order under strain. Discussions are expected to center on the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as the escalating risks posed by artificial intelligence. US President Donald Trump is set to address the assembly for the second consecutive year, while Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet Trump in Washington instead of attending.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has highlighted AI as a major topic, advocating for global governance and "common guardrails" to prevent potential disasters. This stance has put him at odds with President Trump, who has dismissed AI risks as a "hoax."
The Middle East conflict, particularly the war on Iran and Houthi militant activity threatening shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, will also be a key focus. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to speak. The UN envoy on Yemen is working to advance talks, though peace negotiations remain stalled amid ongoing strikes between Iran and the US.
The war in Ukraine is another significant agenda item, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy seeking support ahead of a challenging winter. The UN Security Council's ability to act is hampered by Russia's veto power. Guterres emphasized the war's impact on food security and energy prices, calling for safe passage for Ukrainian and Russian exports through the Black Sea.