UNITED NATIONS, Sept 5: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will address the high-level General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to the revised provisional list of speakers released by the UN.
The 81st UN General Assembly session will officially begin on September 8, while the General Debate, during which world leaders address the 193-member organisation, is scheduled from September 22 to 28.
Jaishankar is slated to speak during the afternoon session on September 26. He had also addressed the General Debate from the UN podium last year.
Brazil will traditionally open the General Debate on September 22, followed by the United States. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to address world leaders from the UNGA podium the same day, marking his second address to the General Assembly during his current term.
The year-long 81st session will be presided over by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who was elected in June to lead the 193-member UN General Assembly.
The high-level UNGA session, regarded as one of the busiest diplomatic periods of the year at the UN Headquarters, will take place against the backdrop of continuing geopolitical conflicts and global challenges.
Several high-level meetings are scheduled during the session, including discussions on the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, climate action and a just transition, and threats posed by rising sea levels.
The agenda will also include meetings on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, as well as a plenary meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
The heads of government of Bangladesh and Nepal are scheduled to address the General Debate on September 24, followed by Pakistan on September 25.
The 2026 session will also be the final high-level UN General Assembly session for current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose second five-year term ends in December.
The selection process for his successor is underway, with discussions continuing over the possibility of the UN appointing a woman as Secretary-General for the first time in the organisation's history.
