Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 16, 2025 UN
In a few days, world leaders will gather at the United Nations headquarters on the banks of the East River in Manhattan for one of their most important annual international meetings.
Representatives of all 193 UN Member States, as well as two delegations from observer countries will perform during General Debate of the Organization, which will take place in the famous General Assembly Hall. At the same time, a series of high-level meetings will begin at the headquarters to discuss the most pressing issues facing humanity.
In the face of global crises ranging from war and climate change to gender inequality and the ethical dilemmas surrounding artificial intelligence, the High-Level Week is more than just a tradition. It is a vital moment for humanity, when the international community can reflect on the state of the planet, renew its commitments, and reimagine a shared future.
The events mark the start of the 80th session of the General Assembly, the UN's main deliberative body, which this year marks the 80th anniversary of the creation of the United Nations.
So here's what to look out for during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly…
Photo UN/L. Felipe
General debate: speeches, speeches and more speeches
The general debate, which begins on September 23, is for many the highlight of the General Assembly session. World leaders take turns at the podium in the General Assembly Hall to lay out their positions and priorities to a global audience.
The provisional time limit for each speaker to effectively schedule more than 193 speeches over a six-day period is 15 minutes, but this limit is rarely observed in good faith.
Traditionally, Brazil is the first to perform, followed by the United States as the host country.
The new President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, only the fifth woman in the UN’s 80-year history to hold the position, will chair the debate. The theme of this year’s policy debate is “Working together: 80 years of working together for peace, development and human rights and the way forward.”
When is my country's representative speaking?
Find out more about general debate.
© UNICEF/M. Natil
Two-State Solution: 'Further Than Ever Before'
According to the UN Secretary General, speaking in July 2025, the implementation of the two-state solution – the proposed framework for resolving the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which would create two states for two peoples – now seems less feasible than “ever before.”
The two-state solution was adopted as the basis for a settlement before the current conflict in Gaza, which began in October 2023 following deadly Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel.
As the death toll in Gaza approaches 70,000 and some hostages taken in Israel remain in captivity, UN member states will continue talks on the issue at the organization's headquarters on Monday, September 22.
This conference will be a continuation of the meetings that took place in the UN General Assembly in July 2025 without the participation of Israel and the United States.
© UNDP
30th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration: Empowering Women and Girls
The 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is considered the most progressive plan to achieve gender equality and advance the rights of women and girls worldwide.
Despite some progress made in the three decades since that landmark declaration, UN Women, the UN's gender agency, has found that the world is seeing "growing backlash" on women's rights.
On Monday, 22 September, a high-level meeting will be held on the theme “Renewing, resourcing and accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. In this context, aspects such as the digital revolution, freedom from poverty, non-violence, full and equal participation in life-changing decisions, an equal voice in peace and security, and climate justice will be discussed.
Climate: Fighting Global Warming
As the world struggles to keep temperature rises within the internationally agreed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a summit on Wednesday, September 24, will address the pace of temperature change and the scale of the global climate crisis.
World leaders will unveil new national climate action plans – country-level commitments that set out steps to combat climate change.
The forum will bring together governments, businesses and civil society to share ideas on how to spur action in mitigation, adaptation, finance and information policy. “This is our chance [to achieve a breakthrough],” the UN chief stressed. Antonio Guterres.
The summit comes ahead of a key UN climate change conference, known as COP30, which starts in Brazil in November.
© Unsplash/Lucas
Artificial Intelligence: The Need for Control and Limitations
Artificial intelligence impacts every area of life: from driverless cars to medical imaging analysis, from business management to financial trading algorithms, from virtual assistants to real-time translation.
However, the benefits of AI are unevenly distributed, and many countries struggle to access the tools that could support their development and improve the lives of ordinary people.
The rapid expansion of AI applications inevitably brings with it many risks, including the unreliability of information disseminated online and threats to human rights, such as digital surveillance.
There is currently no formal, globally recognized body that governs AI at the global level, so world leaders will gather in New York on September 25 to discuss a framework for inclusive and accountable governance of artificial intelligence.
“Without proper guardrails, AI could further exacerbate inequality and the digital divide, and disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. We must seize this historic opportunity… for the benefit of all humanity,” the UN chief said.
A number of other major events will take place during the High Level Week:
Celebration of the 80th anniversary of the United Nations (22 September). Summit on a Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Global Economy on “Delivering Commitments on Financing for Development” (24 September). High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being (25 September). High-level meeting to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth (25 September). High-level meeting to promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (25 September).
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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