The United Nations General Assembly is entering one of its most closely watched weeks, with nearly 130 heads of state and government due in New York as conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine dominate the diplomatic agenda.

US President Donald Trump is returning to the UN podium for a second consecutive year. The gathering will also test the organisation’s role at a time of financial pressure, geopolitical rivalry and growing concern over artificial intelligence.

The 81st General Assembly’s high-level debate runs from September 22 to September 28 under the theme “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

West Asia, Gaza and Sudan

President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to travel to New York in the coming days to address the UN General Assembly and meet world leaders | X (@RyanRozbiani)
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President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to travel to New York in the coming days to address the UN General Assembly and meet world leaders | X (@RyanRozbiani)

The biggest immediate issue is war. The US-Israeli conflict with Iran is expected to feature heavily in discussions, with the conflict continuing for more than six months and tensions also involving Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants and shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the Assembly on Wednesday, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to speak on Thursday.

Gaza and Sudan are also expected to remain part of the wider diplomatic discussions. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned against relying on military force alone in dealing with the regional crisis.

He said negotiations were still needed, while the UN’s Yemen envoy was making a “huge effort” to advance talks.

Ukraine and the Black Sea

The podium at the United Nations General Assembly hall in New York ahead of a high-stakes week of diplomacy, with wars in West Asia and Ukraine topping the agenda | X (@UN)
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The podium at the United Nations General Assembly hall in New York ahead of a high-stakes week of diplomacy, with wars in West Asia and Ukraine topping the agenda | X (@UN)

Ukraine is another major focus. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are both scheduled to address the Assembly.

The war, now in its fifth year, has also created wider concerns over food and energy supplies.

Guterres said the effective blockade in the Black Sea was creating serious problems and called for a safe way to allow Ukrainian and Russian exports of food, fertilisers and energy.

The UN Security Council has struggled to take action on the conflict because Russia, as a permanent member, holds veto power.

Trump arrives with quite the diary

Zelensky will speak at the general debate on Wednesday. On the same day, he will take part in a meeting of the UN Security Council under the agenda item “Maintaining peace and security in Ukraine.” | X (@Beefeater_Fella)
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Zelensky will speak at the general debate on Wednesday. On the same day, he will take part in a meeting of the UN Security Council under the agenda item “Maintaining peace and security in Ukraine.” | X (@Beefeater_Fella)

Trump’s presence adds another layer. He is due to address the Assembly on Tuesday and is expected to hold meetings with Zelenskiy, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

He will also meet New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gulf Cooperation Council leaders. The White House has said Trump will highlight how his administration has approached global problems, including the issue of ensuring Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

China’s Xi Jinping, meanwhile, is skipping the UN gathering and is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington later in the week.

The next name on the UN door

There is also a changing of the guard at the UN. Guterres will leave office on December 31, 2026, and the race to succeed him is already under way.

Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet withdrew from the contest after a third informal Security Council poll showed her support had fallen sharply.

Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan led that poll, while seven candidates remained after Bachelet’s exit.

Burnham’s first appearance as British prime minister at the Assembly will add another bilateral focus, particularly on Ukraine and Britain’s relationship with Washington.

Reuters reported that Burnham plans to press British interests even where they differ from Trump’s positions.

Wars are not the only business

Beyond the wars and diplomacy, the Assembly will also address AI, climate action, sea-level rise, pandemic preparedness and nuclear disarmament.

The UN’s high-level week is therefore not only about speeches. It is a test of whether countries can still use a common forum to manage crises that cross borders.