Jaishankar to Address UNGA on Sept 26 as 81st Session Begins Amid Global Crises

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will address the high-level General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 26 in the afternoon, according to a revised provisional list of speakers issued on Friday (September 4, 2026). He had addressed the same forum from the UN rostrum last year.

The 81st session of the UNGA is scheduled to open on September 8. The General Debate, a traditional annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, will run from September 22 to 28. In keeping with convention, Brazil will be the first country to speak, followed by the United States.

The session will be presided over by the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Khalilur Rahman, who was elected President of the 193-member General Assembly in June. The General Debate is regarded as the busiest diplomatic period at UN headquarters, where delegates deliver their statements from the iconic green marble rostrum.

US President Donald Trump will address the General Debate on September 22. This will be his second address to the UNGA since the beginning of his second term in office. The provisional list may undergo further changes before the debate concludes.

This year's high-level week takes place during a period of significant geopolitical strain. The prolonged military campaign by the United States and Israel against Iran has caused continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route for oil and gas. The resulting increase in food and fuel prices has severely affected countries of the Global South and the least developed nations, compounding their economic vulnerabilities.

Several high-level meetings are scheduled alongside the General Debate. These include an event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, a meeting on climate action and just transition, and a high-level session to address threats posed by sea-level rise. Additionally, there will be meetings on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and a plenary meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

According to the revised list, the heads of government of Bangladesh and Nepal will address the General Debate on September 24, followed by Pakistan on September 25.

The upcoming session will be the last for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends in December 2026. Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal, has served since January 2017. The process to choose his successor is underway, with persistent calls for a female Secretary-General. No woman has led the United Nations since its founding in 1945.

The General Assembly is the principal deliberative organ of the United Nations, where each of the 193 member states has an equal voice. The high-level week also provides an occasion for numerous bilateral meetings and side events, allowing leaders to engage on a wide range of international issues. Each year, the gathering highlights the role of the United Nations in addressing common challenges faced by humanity.