Gearing Up for the 79th U.N. General Assembly: What to Expect

World leaders will gather in New York for the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, discussing themes of peace, sustainable development, and key global issues like the Gaza conflict, the war in Ukraine, and climate change. Reforms to the U.N. Security Council and global digital agreements are also on the agenda.

Every September, world leaders travel to New York to address the start of the annual United Nations General Assembly session. The six days of speeches to mark the beginning of the 79th session will start Tuesday. Key questions include, who speaks when?

The United Nations, formed in 1945 following World War Two, originally had 51 members but has since grown to 193. Leaders of two non-member observer states—the Holy See and the State of Palestine—and an observer member, the European Union, also speak. Tradition dictates Brazil always speaks first, a custom dating back to the early years of the U.N. when Brazil would step up when other countries were reluctant to do so.

As the host city, the United States is the second country to address the General Assembly. The order then follows a hierarchy: heads of state speak first, followed by deputy heads of state and crown princes, heads of government, ministers, and other delegation heads. This year will see 87 heads of state, three vice-presidents, two crown princes, 45 heads of government, eight deputy heads of government, 45 ministers, and four lower-ranked heads of delegation addressing the Assembly.

Speeches touch on various key issues. This year's theme is "Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations." Topics likely to be discussed include the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Russia's war in Ukraine, climate action, and calls for U.N. Security Council reform. A two-day Summit of the Future will precede the session, focusing on global digital agreements and effective global governance.

(With inputs from agencies.)