The general debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is set to begin on September 22, 2026, with all 193 UN member states invited to participate. The high-level general debate will see nearly 130 heads of state and government take the podium in New York. The debate is the main event of the UNGA's annual session, which commenced on September 8, with Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh serving as president.
The debate will run from September 22 to September 26, and will resume on September 28, with no sessions scheduled for Sunday. Daily sessions will take place from 9:00 AM to 2:45 PM local time (13:00 GMT to 18:45 GMT) and from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM (19:00 GMT to 01:00 GMT the following day). Speakers are expected to adhere to a voluntary 15-minute limit for their statements, although many may exceed this duration.
The session will begin with remarks from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who will present his annual report, followed by UNGA President Khalilur Rahman, who will officially open the debate. Brazil will traditionally be the first country to speak, followed by the United States, with President Donald Trump anticipated to address the assembly around 9:45 AM local time (13:45 GMT).
The speaking order for other member states will be determined based on representation level, expressed preferences, and geographic balance. The Holy See, the State of Palestine, and the European Union will also participate, with their speaking slots allocated according to their representation.
The UNGA takes place at the UN headquarters in Manhattan, New York, a site considered international territory. The UNGA has been held in New York since 1952, with a few exceptions, including a session in Geneva in 1988 due to a visa denial for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
For the second consecutive year, the US has denied visas to Palestinian officials, leading President Mahmoud Abbas to address the assembly via prerecorded video after member states voted to permit this arrangement. The UNGA's theme for this session is "Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all."
In addition to speeches, high-level meetings on various topics, including climate action, sea level rise, and pandemic preparedness, are scheduled throughout the session. Many speeches are expected to address ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as issues related to artificial intelligence and UN funding challenges.
The appointment of the next UN Secretary-General is also a topic of interest, as Guterres's term concludes on December 31. The UNGA will formally appoint the secretary-general, but the UN Security Council (UNSC) must first recommend a candidate. Currently, there are seven candidates in the running, including four women and three men. The UNSC must reach a consensus without vetoes from its five permanent members before presenting a candidate to the UNGA.
The UN was founded in 1945 with 51 member states and has since grown to 193 members, plus two non-member observer states: Palestine and the Holy See. Its primary goals include preventing conflicts, promoting peace and security, fostering international cooperation, protecting human rights, and supporting global development. Critics argue that the UN is increasingly failing to meet these objectives. Each member state has one vote in the UNGA, where resolutions are generally nonbinding, contrasting with the UNSC's legally binding decisions.