UN General Assembly 2026: When is it, who is speaking and when?

September 22 marks the start of the general debate, where all 193 UN member states are invited to address the UNGA. September 22 marks the start of the general debate, where all 193 UN member states are invited to address the General Assembly. On Tuesday, nearly 130 heads of state and government are expected to begin taking the podium at the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York as the high-level general debate opens. The debate is the key event of the UNGA’s annual session, which began on September 8, when Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh took office as president. In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera looks at what happens at the UNGA, who will speak, and the key moments to watch.

The debate opens on Tuesday, September 22, runs through Saturday, September 26, and resumes on Monday, September 28, as no sessions are held on Sunday. It runs in two daily sessions: from 9am to 2:45pm local time (13:00 GMT to 18:45 GMT) and from 3pm to 9pm (19:00 GMT to 01:00 GMT the next day). Statements are expected to observe a voluntary 15-minute limit, though many run longer, and meetings continue until all scheduled speakers have spoken. The session opens with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who introduces his annual report and is expected to give his final