UN General Assembly opens 81st session; general debate begins 22 September
Khalilur Rahman will preside; SDG Moment on 18 September and high‑level meetings — including a pandemic summit on 25 September — are on the agenda.
The United Nations General Assembly has opened its 81st regular session at UN Headquarters in New York, with the presidential team and calendar for the autumn high‑level week announced ahead of the arrival of world leaders.
Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh, who was elected President of the General Assembly in June 2026, will preside over the session. The Assembly’s overarching theme this year is rendered in English as: "Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all."
([un.org](https://www.un.org/en/ga/president/81/?utm_source=openai))Key dates and flagship events
The session formally opened on 8 September 2026 and the annual SDG Moment — officially the "Sustainable Development Goals Moment" — is scheduled for 18 September 2026 in the General Assembly Hall. That event will spotlight progress and actions to accelerate delivery on the 2030 agenda.
([un.org](https://www.un.org/en/ga/81/meetings/?utm_source=openai))The high‑level General Debate, when heads of state and government address the Assembly, will begin on 22 September 2026 and run through 26 September, with an additional sitting on 28 September. During that period leaders are expected to discuss urgent international concerns including the situation in Ukraine, climate and development financing.
([un.org](https://www.un.org/en/ga/81/meetings/?utm_source=openai))Several mandated high‑level meetings will run in parallel with the General Debate. On 23 September member states will mark the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, and on 25 September the Assembly will hold a one‑day meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response that is expected to conclude with a concise political declaration aimed at concrete action.
([un.org](https://www.un.org/pga/80/mandated-events-80th-session/?utm_source=openai))Alongside plenary sessions, the week will host numerous side events and ministerial gatherings. Delegations and press preparations follow UN procedural notes and accreditation arrangements that remain in effect for the duration of the 81st session.
([un.org](https://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/unga.shtml?utm_source=openai))Photo: press material from the event
