UN General Assembly/English

UN General Assembly/English

The 81st Session of the UN General Assembly/English (UNGA) has commenced amidst the complex backdrop of ongoing conflicts, the climate crisis, and global inequality. Dr. Khalilur Rahman, a distinguished Bangladeshi diplomat, has assumed the role of President for this historic session focused on restoring global trust and reforming the United Nations. Read the article to learn more about world leaders’ discussions, Bangladesh’s diplomatic achievements, and the six key priorities set for the session.

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Article: 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly – A Call to Restore Trust

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Introduction: The organization that began its journey in 1945, standing on the ruins of World War II with the dream of establishing peace in the world, is today facing a deep crisis as it enters its 81st session in 2026. The 81st session of the General Assembly opened on 8 September 2016 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York against the backdrop of war, climate change, inequality, technological revolution and growing distrust in multilateralism. The general debate will take place on 22–26 September and 28 September, 2026; the SDG moment is on 18 September, 2026. This session is being chaired by Dr. Khalilur Rahman, a prominent diplomat and economist of Bangladesh.
Presidential Election and Significance: In the elections held on 2 June 2026, Dr. Khalilur Rahman was elected by securing 99 votes out of 190, defeating Cyprus‘ candidate Andreas Kakoris. He was elected from the Asia-Pacific Group and is the second Bangladeshi in the history of the UN to hold this prestigious position. He assumed the responsibility by receiving the traditional Icelandic wooden gavel from the outgoing President, Annalena Baerbock of Germany. His election is a major diplomatic victory not only for Bangladesh but also for the entire Global South.

Motto of the Session: The main theme of the 81st session is – “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All”. In his opening speech, Dr. Rahman said very clearly, “This is not 1945. This is the 81st session. The world has moved on. The organization must move on”. That is, it is not 1945, the world has moved forward, so the organization must move on.
In his speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the world today as a place of conflict, division, growing inequality and climate chaos. Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has slowed, humanitarian funding is dwindling and international institutions are still stuck in the 1945 world order, not the world of today.

Six priorities: A new path forward: Dr. Rahman has set six clear priorities for his presidency, which identify the most pressing issues facing the world today:

First, peace and security. His slogan is “Silence the Guns, Amplify the Voices”. Drawing on the experience of Bangladesh having sent more than two hundred thousand peacekeepers to peacekeeping missions, he wants to emphasize preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding and the protection of civilians.

Second, accelerating sustainable development. His motto is “No One Left Behind”. He will work to fill the huge development financing gap and implement the 2023 Agenda.
Third, protecting the climate and environment. In this priority titled “Our Planet, Our Pact”, the main goals are to implement the Loss and Damage Fund and protect marine biodiversity.
Fourth, human rights and humanitarian protection. Bangladesh has given shelter to more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, from that humanitarian experience, he will speak out to protect the rights of refugees and displaced people.
Fifth, good governance of technology. “Innovation with Inclusion”. One of his goals is to implement the Global Digital Compact for good governance of artificial intelligence (AI) and the digital world, so that technology works for the benefit of people.
Sixth, UN reform. In this priority titled “We the Peoples Reimagined”, he talked about UN80 reform. Reform of the Security Council and the international financial structure is the demand of the hour today. He said that reform should not be show-off, but meaningful.

Conclusion: The 81st General Assembly session is being held at a time when the world is troubled by the Iran-Israel war, the Ukraine crisis, and the climate crisis, while alternative platforms like BRICS are gaining strength. In this context, there is no greater challenge than restoring trust to prove the relevance of the United Nations. If the United Nations, under the leadership of Dr. Khalilur Rahman, as a “bridge-builder,” can truly build consensus among all member states and build “a United Nations that works for all,” then this 81st session will be memorable in history. The process of electing a new Secretary-General on the eve of the end of the Secretary-General’s term has also made this session more important.

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