World leaders are convening at the United Nations headquarters in New York this week for an assembly characterized by what Secretary-General António Guterres described as an “era of deep uncertainty.” This session marks Guterres’ final high-level week, as his current term concludes at the end of the year. The event opens Tuesday morning with remarks from Guterres, followed by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, adhering to tradition, and then U.S. President Donald Trump. The schedule of speeches and meetings continues through September 28.
Guterres has indicated that he intends to use this final appearance to advocate for de-escalation in the Middle East, specifically urging freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb waterway. He is also pressing for a ceasefire in Ukraine, which has now endured nearly five years of full-scale Russian invasion. However, analysts do not anticipate major breakthroughs on these longstanding conflicts during the gathering.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the body on Wednesday, following a conflict initiated by the U.S. and Israel in late February. The U.S. State Department noted that the Iranian delegation will be smaller than in previous years, with visa restrictions and strict monitoring of their movements and purchases by diplomatic security agents. It remains unclear whether Iranian officials will hold meetings with members of the Trump administration.
On the Ukrainian front, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to speak on Wednesday as European allies work to build support for the war-torn nation heading into another winter. While Russia utilizes its veto power in the Security Council to obstruct U.N. action, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to address the General Assembly on September 26. Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched the 2022 invasion, has not attended the General Assembly in over a decade.
Tensions regarding Israel and the Palestinians persist, with the Trump administration once again denying a visa to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Despite this, the General Assembly voted to permit Abbas to deliver his statement via video on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently in the midst of an election campaign, will use his platform later that day to defend his administration’s policies on Iran and Gaza. His visit comes despite planned protests, though New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated he does not plan to attend them, despite earlier comments suggesting Netanyahu should be arrested due to an International Criminal Court warrant.
The assembly also features a notable absence of several major heads of state. Leaders from India, Germany, and South Africa are expected to send senior representatives rather than attend in person. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who only personally attended in 2015, will participate via video link despite expectations that he will meet with President Trump in Washington on Thursday. Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group described this dynamic as a “split-screen moment” that highlights the concentration of power among major nations while smaller countries continue to speak in a sparsely attended hall.
In other developments, Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim leader, will make her U.N. debut on Thursday. Her appearance follows the U.S. military intervention eight and a half months ago that ousted Nicolás Maduro, who remains in U.S. custody near the U.N. headquarters. President Trump plans to meet with Rodríguez during the sidelines events, following a recently announced oil deal that grants the Pentagon a stake in Venezuelan fields.
Finally, the race to succeed Guterres continues without consensus. The Security Council has conducted three straw polls, with former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan and Guyana’s former Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett emerging as front-runners. Tradition suggests the next secretary-general will come from Latin America, and there is significant encouragement for appointing the first female leader in the role’s history. The contest narrows after former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet withdrew over the weekend, leaving seven candidates. The U.S. has stated that the next leader must commit to returning the U.N. to “basics,” and with the deadline at year’s end, the divided Council faces a challenging path to agreement.
Will anything actually change this year? Guterres’ final push feels more like a ritual than a real attempt at peace.
It is quite telling that China’s leader is only joining via video. Shows how detached they are from these physical gatherings.
I can’t believe Zelenskyy and Lavrov are speaking on the same day. The diplomatic theater is getting truly bizarre.