The world’s most influential voices are gathering in New York City as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) opens its landmark 80th session, setting the stage for one of the most consequential global meetings in recent history. From 23 to 29 September 2025, leaders from all 193 UN Member States, alongside international organizations and key partners, will deliver speeches, debate urgent issues, and work to shape the global agenda for the year ahead.
This year’s session—UNGA80—marks eight decades since the founding of the UN, a milestone underscoring the organization’s enduring mission to promote peace, development, and human rights. Guided by the theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights,” the newly elected Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, only the fifth woman in the UN’s history to hold the post, will preside over a week of high-stakes diplomacy and deliberation.
The assembly convenes at a time of overlapping global crises, with war, climate emergencies, economic instability, widening inequalities, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence dominating the agenda. The much-anticipated general debate, beginning on 23 September, will see world leaders step up to the iconic UN podium to present their national priorities and global visions. Following long-standing tradition, Brazil will open the debate, followed by the United States as the host country.
Key moments throughout the week will include efforts to revive the stalled two-State solution for Israel and Palestine, a conflict described by the UN Secretary-General as “farther than ever before” from resolution amid ongoing violence in Gaza. On 22 September, world leaders will also mark the 30th anniversary of the landmark Beijing Declaration, a progressive blueprint for gender equality, with discussions on the Beijing+30 Action Agenda to promote women’s rights, digital inclusion, and climate justice in the face of mounting backlash.
Climate change will take center stage on 24 September, when countries present updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) aimed at cutting emissions and keeping global temperature rise below 1.5°C. The Climate Ambition Summit will serve as a critical prelude to the upcoming COP30 conference in Brazil, with leaders from government, business, and civil society putting forward new ideas to accelerate global action on mitigation, adaptation, and climate finance.
Artificial intelligence, one of the fastest-evolving technologies of the modern era, will draw urgent attention on 25 September, as leaders debate the creation of a global framework to ensure AI development remains inclusive, accountable, and aligned with human rights. The UN Secretary-General has warned that without adequate guardrails, AI could deepen inequalities and pose serious risks to information integrity and privacy, calling this gathering a “historic opportunity” to set global standards.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has framed the 80th session as more than just a diplomatic tradition, describing it as “a vital moment for humanity to reflect, recommit, and reimagine our collective future.” As the world confronts escalating conflicts, climate threats, and technological disruptions, UNGA80 stands as a defining opportunity for nations to unite, reset priorities, and chart a path toward a safer, fairer, and more sustainable world.
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