Key facts
- World leaders will convene in New York for the UN General Assembly's 81st session starting Tuesday.
- The theme for this year's assembly is 'Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.'
- Artificial intelligence is expected to be a major topic of discussion, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning of potential global disaster if development is not controlled.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will seek support for Kyiv, while US President Donald Trump aims to broker an end to the war.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address the assembly, amidst ongoing conflict in Gaza.
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to appear via video link due to visa issues.
World leaders are set to convene in New York next week for the annual high-level debate at the United Nations General Assembly, marking the start of its 81st session. The gathering, which traditionally begins on a Tuesday in September, will feature discussions on a range of pressing global issues.
Brazil will uphold its tradition of being the first member state to speak, followed by the United States as the host nation. The speaking order then generally follows a hierarchy of heads of state, deputy heads of state, heads of government, ministers, and lower-ranking delegation heads, with a voluntary 15-minute time limit for each speaker.
This year's theme is "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All." However, leaders are expected to address a variety of other topics during their speeches and on the sidelines of the main assembly.
Artificial intelligence is poised to be a significant focus, following recent calls from industry leaders for a slowdown in its development due to concerns about it potentially slipping beyond human control. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stated these warnings cannot be ignored and that establishing "common guardrails" is crucial to avoid a "gigantic disaster." The UN Security Council may convene to discuss AI, having previously met on the topic in 2023.
The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan are also high on the agenda. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will seek to bolster international support, while US President Donald Trump continues his efforts to broker an end to the war. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also scheduled to speak. The UN Security Council is expected to hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine, though Russia's veto power limits its action.
In Sudan, a high-level meeting is anticipated to address the conflict that erupted in April 2023, creating a severe humanitarian crisis. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese army, is slated to address the assembly.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will also be a key discussion point. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to speak, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to participate via video link due to visa issues. A meeting to promote a two-state solution is also anticipated, though progress is not expected.
Additionally, the process of selecting a new UN Secretary-General to succeed Antonio Guterres when his term ends on December 31, 2026, is likely to be a topic of informal discussion among leaders, with the five permanent members of the Security Council needing to agree on a candidate.
Climate change remains a concern, with leaders of nations most affected by it expected to urge further action, particularly as global average temperatures have recently exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit agreed upon in the Paris climate agreement.