Every September, world leaders descend on New York for the UN General Assembly, turning the Big Apple into a crowded stage for speeches, private meetings and high-stakes diplomacy.
The event's key week begins on September 22, at a time when wars, political tension and funding cuts are testing the international system.
US President Donald Trump is expected to be at the centre of attention, with his administration's approach to Iran and the UN likely to shape much of the week.
“Trump’s return to the UN will be filled with contradictions,” Daniel Forti, head of UN affairs at the International Crisis Group, told The National.
“He will likely burnish his credentials as a peacemaker while defending US military operations abroad. He may take swipes at the UN because it is an easy target, while also asking the organisation for more assistance to achieve his foreign policies.”
Mr Forti said Mr Trump’s speech could “be tailored just as much to a domestic audience as to the leaders in the General Assembly Hall, as US midterm elections are fast approaching" in November. He added that the address would probably reflect the “turbulence” currently challenging the international order.
That turbulence will be difficult to escape in New York. UNGA 2026 comes more than six months into the US-Iran war, with the Strait of Hormuz still largely closed to normal commercial shipping. The disruption of one of the world’s most important energy routes has added economic urgency to the search for a diplomatic path towards de-escalation.
“UNGA is not traditionally a summit for major diplomatic breakthroughs. Many of the formal proceedings are tightly choreographed and reflect long-standing positions. But there's always a chance world leaders take advantage of being crammed in UN conference rooms to talk,” Mr Forti said.
He pointed to last September's meeting between Mr Trump and leaders of eight Arab and Islamic states as an example, which he said helped lay the groundwork for the Gaza ceasefire.
“There is no shortage of crises that require leaders' focus,” he added.
France is expected to use its presidency at the Security Council this month to renew attention on the two-state solution, a year after the adoption of a declaration that diplomats have described as a road map for advancing the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
The gathering will also carry particular significance for President Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to attend his final United Nations General Assembly high-level week as French president before his term ends in 2027.
Among other issues likely to receive particular attention are elections in the Palestinian territories, which could also be raised during a Security Council meeting on the Middle East.
Ukraine will remain another major focus as Russia continues its war on the country, with Kyiv and its western allies expected to seek international support and renewed diplomatic pressure on Moscow.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, due in Washington for a September 24 meeting with Mr Trump, is not expected to attend the General Assembly. He last addressed the UN in person in 2015, during the world body's 70th anniversary session.
“China is positioning itself as a more predictable big power on the world stage, but President Xi does not see UNGA as a venue where he must press that case,” Mr Forti said.
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Likened to diplomatic 'speed dating', UN General Assembly gives the world's top diplomats a chance to meet in person. The assembly has played host to a number of famous moments over the years. AP -
Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi famously addressed the UNGA for more than 90 minutes in 2009. Photo: UN -
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said in 2006 that he could smell sulphur in the UN chamber after George W Bush spoke, likening the US leader to the 'Devil'. Photo: UN -
Mr Bush at UNGA in 2005. Photo: UN -
The UN Headquarters in New York. Residents of the Big Apple brace themselves for two weeks of traffic chaos as UNGA takes place. EPA -
South Korean ambassador to the UN Cho Hyun speaking in the chamber. Reuters -
Cuban leader Fidel Castro addressing the General Assembly. Photo: UN -
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005. Photo: UN -
Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, addresses UNGA. Photo: UN
The race to select the next UN Secretary General will also push private diplomacy in New York, as candidates court support especially from the five veto-wielding permanent Security Council members – the US, China, Russia, Britain and France.
“Candidates will likely canvass UN side events to bolster their profiles, while UN members may share their priorities for the organisation's next leader during their speeches,” Mr Forti said. He added that potential contenders still weighing a bid “may see UNGA as an opportune moment to maximise attention”.
The most consequential talks among Security Council members, Mr Forti said, would take place away from public view.
Here is a preview of when UN member states will address the General Assembly:
Tuesday, September 22
Morning: Brazil, US, Jordan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Qatar, Mexico, Lebanon, Egypt, Chile, Luxembourg, Costa Rica and South Africa.
Afternoon: Mongolia, Korea, Finland, Surinam, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dominica, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Guatemala, Turkmenistan, Morocco, Vietnam, Colombia, Angola, Seychelles and Panama.
Wednesday, September 23
Morning: Lithuania, Syria, Latvia, Gambia, Romania, Zambia, Iran, Paraguay, Czechia, Nigeria, Argentina, Estonia, Timor Leste, Libya, Palau, Indonesia, Dominican Republic, Botswana, Ecuador, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
Afternoon: Poland, Namibia, Slovakia, Kenya, Serbia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kiribati, Guinea, eSwatini, Honduras, Malawi, Mauritania, Gabon, Rwanda, Benin, Nauru, Cabo Verde and Uganda.
Thursday, September 24
Morning: Zimbabwe, Yemen, Cyprus, Madagascar, Ghana, Palestine, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Congo, Somalia, Chad, Comoros, Cameroon, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Sudan, Marshall Islands and Bolivia.
Afternoon: Micronesia, Tanzania, European Union, Maldives, Kuwait, Japan, Israel, Thailand, Portugal, United Kingdom, Georgia, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Slovenia, Greece, Australia, Barbados, Canada and Andorra.
Friday, September 25
Morning: Iraq, Ireland, Armenia, Germany, Croatia, Bhutan, Spain, Ethiopia, Monaco, Belgium, Niger, Malta, Togo, Fiji, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Tuvalu and North Macedonia.
Afternoon: Samoa, Montenegro, Guinea-Bissau, Vanuatu, Pakistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, India, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Bahamas, Nepal, Tonga, Haiti, Hungary, Solomon Islands, Saint Lucia and Burkina Faso.
Saturday, September 26
Morning: China, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Albania, Holy See, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Liechtenstein, Papua New Guinea, UAE, Molodova, Cambodia, Italy, Russia, Philippines, Cuba, Brunei, Austria, Algeria, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.
Afternoon: Singapore, Uruguay, San Marino, Iceland, Nicaragua, Sweden, Kazakhstan, Norway, Djibouti, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Tajikistan, Oman and Tunisia.
Monday, September 28
Morning: Mali, Eritrea, Denmark, New Zealand, Venezuela, Bahrain and Myanmar.
The order of nations can change on a daily basis.
