The United Nations has confirmed that 73 Heads of State and 45 Heads of Government are expected to attend the 81st General Assembly high-level week in New York. The event is scheduled to take place from September 22 to September 28. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric disclosed this information during a briefing ahead of the annual gathering of world leaders at UN Headquarters.
President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria is expected to lead his country's delegation and present Nigeria's national statement on Wednesday, September 23. Nigeria has moved up to the eighth spot in the provisional list of speakers, two spots from the previous 10th spot. Other dignitaries expected to participate include 49 ministers, 11 vice-presidents, and one crown prince.
The General Debate of the 81st session is scheduled for September 22 to September 26 and September 28 at the UN Headquarters in New York. During the debate, Heads of State, governments, and other senior representatives will present national positions on major international political, economic, security, and development challenges.
In addition to the mandated high-level meetings, about 168 other events have been scheduled during the high-level week. These events will feature major meetings on development, climate action, sea-level rise, pandemic preparedness, racial justice, and other global priorities. The UN said the 81st session would convene leaders at a time of continuing geopolitical tensions, conflicts, development financing challenges, and pressure on the multilateral system.
The 81st session is being presided over by Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.” Thousands of journalists have been accredited to cover the gathering, with 1,935 press passes issued for visiting journalists and an additional 1,290 press passes for official media.
The high-level week will also feature bilateral meetings among Member States, with about 1,000 requests submitted. Bilateral meetings involving UN Secretary-General António Guterres are also being scheduled. The UN spokesperson said the numbers could still change as additional delegations, events, and media arrangements were finalised.
The General Assembly high-level week remains the largest annual diplomatic gathering at the United Nations, bringing world leaders together for speeches, negotiations, bilateral engagements, and discussions on global challenges. The event underlines the diplomatic significance of the General Assembly high-level week, which annually transforms UN Headquarters into a major centre of global diplomacy.
Key points
- 73 Heads of State and 45 Heads of Government are expected to attend the 81st General Assembly high-level week in New York.
