Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – Nearly 130 heads of state and government are expected in New York for the high-level week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. From September 22 to 28, world leaders will gather at the UN Headquarters for the General Debate, which will review major international crises and challenges requiring a multilateral response.
The theme chosen for this session is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all.”
For a week, the Glass Palace will be the main meeting point for international diplomacy. Leaders will be called upon to discuss key global issues, from war and international security to humanitarian crises, from climate change to health, and even the governance of artificial intelligence.
The high-level week's program includes a series of events dedicated to the emergencies and transformations affecting the international community, in addition to the general debate, a central moment of the Assembly's work.
The presence of major world leaders will be intertwined with a packed agenda of bilateral meetings. US President Donald Trump will arrive in New York on Monday afternoon and, according to the schedule announced by US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, will address the General Assembly the following day, before meeting with several leaders.
Scheduled meetings include meetings with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Trump will also meet with Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, and host a reception for heads of state and government present in New York.
However, a bilateral meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been ruled out, as a US official told the Times of Israel. A bilateral meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not yet been confirmed, as Waltz himself indicated. Two Ukrainian officials confirmed to Suspilne that the meeting has not yet been scheduled. In recent days, Zelensky had expressed his intention to discuss with Trump the possibility of a ceasefire in the energy sector and the Black Sea.
The war in Ukraine won't be the only issue set to occupy international diplomacy. One of the topics will undoubtedly be the war in the Middle East. In recent days, the United States granted visas to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and other Tehran officials to participate in the high-level week. The State Department has specified that the delegation will be subject to travel restrictions and limits on the purchase of luxury and other goods, and will be smaller than last year's.
Palestinian Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas, however, will not attend the General Assembly in person following the United States' renewed visa denial. This decision is part of Washington's ongoing visa restrictions on Palestinian Authority and PLO officials.
The European and Italian delegations will also be marked by some absences. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will not attend the General Assembly meeting, barring last-minute changes. Italy will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. According to sources at Palazzo Chigi, the decision follows Meloni's previously announced decision to delegate participation in certain international events to the Foreign Minister, without this constituting a withdrawal. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also cancelled his trip to New York due to domestic political concerns, given the delicate elections in Mecklenburg and Berlin. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will be taking his place.
The UN Week will also feature NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who is expected in the United States from September 22 to 24. After a stop in Iowa, where he will meet with Governor Kim Reynolds and visit the Joint National Guard Forces headquarters, Rutte will travel to New York on Wednesday to meet with world leaders and senior officials. On Thursday, the 24th, he will deliver a speech at a commemoration ceremony organized by the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
Among those announced to attend is Kim Son-gyong, North Korea's vice foreign minister. According to Yonhap news agency, the North Korean diplomat is expected to meet with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and representatives of countries considered friendly to Pyongyang, including Cuba and Venezuela.
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