UN General Assembly 2026: Wars, AI fears and UN reform dominate as world leaders gather in New York – what else is on the agenda? | Today’s news

Nearly 130 global leaders are attending a high-level meeting at the United Nations in person this week to deliver their message to the world.

From September 22 to 28, these leaders, including India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, will address the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. This year’s theme is “Rebuilding Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All”.

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The General Debate is an annual gathering of global leaders at the start of the General Assembly session. It is usually the first debate of the session and — with the exception of high-level meetings — the only one regularly attended by heads of state and government, according to the UN General Assembly website.

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

The 2026 UN General Assembly will focus on major wars, the impact of artificial intelligence, the climate crisis, economic inequality and UN reform aimed at making the organization more efficient.

This theme highlights the need for international cooperation and the restoration of trust between nations in the midst of global challenges such as conflict, technological disruption and climate change.

The current global turmoil, characterized by conflicts in regions such as Iran and Ukraine, heightens the urgency of discussions on peace, security and humanitarian responses during the UN General Assembly.

Yes, advocating for UN reform is essential to ensure that the organization better reflects current global power dynamics and can effectively address the current challenges facing member states.

Artificial intelligence is a key topic as world leaders express concerns about its rapid development and potential risks, fueling discussions about the need for governance and ethical considerations in AI development.

The General Debate takes place in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation at the debate. Jaishankar is scheduled to address a high-level meeting on September 26.

Under the global cloud of wars.

A meeting of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly is hitting a global cloud of wars and bitter divisions amid renewed fears that runaway artificial intelligence could threaten humanity, even as climate shocks and escalating prices are already making life much harder for hundreds of millions of people, the Associated Press reported.

The week-long annual gathering is expected to be linked to major wars in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo and Myanmar and the lingering question.

Other issues include rising global warming threatening the future of the planet, growing inequality within and between nations and shocks to the global economy as blocked shipping routes and supply chains raise the cost of living and slow growth, the news agency said.

The future of the United Nations will also certainly be on the agenda.

81st session of the UN General Assembly

At 81, its powers are still the victorious nations of World War II, not the major global players of the 21st century. The UN’s 193 member states have agreed to a sweeping reform package that includes updating key institutions such as the powerful UN Security Council, where the US, Russia, China, Britain and France wield excessive power through their veto power. However, reform is easier said than done.

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There will be speculation about who will lead the United Nations next. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ second five-year term ends on Dec. 31 and no clear successor has emerged, the AP reported.

Featured Speakers and Schedule

US President Donald Trump and French President Emanuel Macron are scheduled to speak on Tuesday, September 22, after Guterres’ opening speech on the “state of the world”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke on Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani wanted to arrest for his treatment of Palestinians in Gaza until he learned he had no such authority, will address a rally on September 24.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not come to the UN for the second year since the US refused to grant him a visa. However, he will address the congregation via video that same day.

Trump-Xi meeting on the sidelines

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Trump on Wednesday in Washington on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Some diplomats cited by the AP suggested that President Trump is skipping the UN assembly and sending Vice President JD Vance instead. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not come either, and India is represented by EAM Jaishankar.

France’s ambassador to the United Nations, Jerome Bonnafont, said it was “extremely critical” that world leaders this week support the United Nations as a place where the world’s nations meet – especially at a time of such polarization.

“We believe in multilateralism,” he said, “and we believe that the high-level week is an opportunity for the countries of the world to reaffirm that they prefer cooperation and dialogue to confrontation.”

AI is being pushed to the center of the agenda

Days before the UN General Assembly convenes, the leaders of three major artificial intelligence companies have warned that the technology is slipping out of human control and called for a pause. But President Trump dismissed their concerns as a “hoax” and urged continued progress to keep the US ahead of China.

This comes at a time when the future of artificial intelligence has thrust itself to the forefront of global concern, with its rapid advances and the dawning realization that there are no industry controls, let alone any global guardrails, for a technology that has many advantages but also many disadvantages and unknowns, the AP reported.

The UN Security Council added a high-level meeting on AI to its agenda on Wednesday afternoon, a sign of growing concern and the need to address the issue. Already on Wednesday morning, it was planned to hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine with Zelensky.

What is UNGA?

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main political body of the UN. It includes all Member States and provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion on the full range of international issues covered by the United Nations Charter. Each of the 193 member states of the United Nations has an equal vote.

The UN General Assembly also makes key decisions for the UN, including: the appointment of the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the Security Council the election of non-permanent members of the Security Council approving the UN budget

The Assembly meets in regular sessions from September to December of each year and thereafter as required. It discusses specific issues through dedicated agenda items or sub-items that lead to the adoption of resolutions.

The last UN assembly for the boss

It will be the UN chief’s last meeting with global leaders. He delivered a speech last week, telling UN reporters that power was shifting in an “era of deep uncertainty”.

“At a time when the world is facing three existential threats,” he said, “international cooperation is needed more than ever.”

Others will vie for attention on issues ranging from rising sea levels and education funding to the fight for gender equality. Hundreds of private meetings will also take place in UN premises, hotels, diplomatic missions and restaurants.

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Esther Brimmer, senior fellow for global governance at the Council on Foreign Relations and former US assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs in the Obama administration, told the AP that face-to-face meetings can help countries come up with ideas that are implemented months later.

She described the situation in 2026 as “much more serious and complex than in past decades.”

“That being said, I’m not without hope either,” Brimmer said. “Over the past decades, we have learned a lot about international cooperation.”

American TV stations are boycotting Trump

US TV stations staged a protest on September 21 (local time) when they effectively boycotted coverage of President Donald Trump to protest his decision to ban three leading channels from the White House.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico also went to court after Trump ordered them banned on Friday, as the 80-year-old Republican stepped up his years-long attack on the US media.

At a time when the world is facing three existential threats, international cooperation is needed more than ever.

The move means there will be no televised coverage of Trump’s trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday (local time), where he is expected to meet with a number of foreign leaders.