Jaishankar to address UN General Assembly on September 26 amid global conflicts

Unitednations,UPDATED: Sep 5, 2026 08:36 IST

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will address the annual high-level session of the UN General Assembly on September 26, according to a revised provisional list of speakers released on Friday. The 81st session of the UN General Assembly will begin on September 8, while the General Debate of the 193-member organisation will run from September 22 to 28.

Jaishankar is scheduled to speak in the afternoon session on September 26. He had also addressed world leaders from the UN lectern last year. The high-level session, considered the United Nations Headquarters' "busiest diplomatic season" of the year, comes amid continuing geopolitical conflicts across the world.

Brazil will be the traditional first speaker when the General Debate opens on September 22, followed by the United States. US President Donald Trump will address world leaders from the UN General Assembly podium on September 22, in what will be his second address to the UN session in his second term in the White House.

The year-long 81st session of the UN General Assembly will be presided over by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who was elected in June to lead the 193-member body. The heads of government of Bangladesh and Nepal will address the General Debate on September 24, followed by Pakistan a day later.

The session this year comes amid continuing geopolitical conflicts, including the months-long US-Israel war against Iran, which the report said has had a devastating cascading impact on countries of the Global South as well as the least developed nations, affected by rising food and fuel costs due to continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Meetings scheduled during the UNGA session include a high-level session to mark the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, a meeting on climate action and the just transition, a high-level meeting on the existential threats posed by sea level rise, discussions on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and a plenary meeting to commemorate and promote the Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

This will also be the last high-level UN General Assembly session for current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose second five-year term ends in December this year. The process to elect the next UN chief is underway, with attention on whether a woman will be chosen to lead the 80-year-old body for the first time in its history.

Overall, the upcoming UN General Assembly session will bring together world leaders against the backdrop of major global challenges, with Jaishankar set to speak on September 26 as part of the week-long General Debate.

With PTI Inputs

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