Source: UN News: Saturday, 06 June 2026 00:01 AM
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected President of the upcoming 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. After being elected, he said that he would take up this responsibility at a moment when the international system is under pressure, and in view of this, his tenure will focus on rebuilding trust, managing transformational change and realizing promises for all people. In the secret ballot held on Tuesday in the General Assembly Hall, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh got 99 votes, while his rival Andreas Kakouris of Cyprus got 91 votes. A total of 190 votes were cast in the UN General Assembly consisting of 193 member states and no vote was invalid. The annual presidency of the UN General Assembly is shared by rotation among 5 regional groupings on the basis of geography and the candidature for the reins of the 81st session starting in September 2026 was with the Asia-Pacific group this year. Tweet URL
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman will begin his one-year tenure on September 8, and it is during his presidency that the process of appointing a new Secretary General of the UN will be taken forward. The tenure of the current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ends on 31 December 2026. Khalilur Rahman has served as a diplomat for more than four decades and in February this year, he took over as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. Earlier, he had been the National Security Advisor and the High Representative on the Rohingya issue. Pressure on the international system In his address after the announcement of his election, the Bangladeshi diplomat said that he would take up the post with humility and dignity, at a moment when trust in the international system is under increasing pressure. He cautioned that the UN will begin its 9th decade of existence at a time when the organization is facing tests on many fronts. “A Taken together, these challenges undermine public trust and confidence in the ability of our organization to deliver on its promises.”Key PrioritiesForeign Minister Khalilur Rahman said his promise is to engage and dialogue with all member states, building bridges and finding common ground across the divides. He also UN Charter Expressing his resolve to keep the delegation paramount, he said that geographical and gender balance will be maintained in his office and support will be provided to the needs of the small delegation. His theme for the 81st session of the General Assembly is: Restoring Trust, Managing Change: A United Nations that Meets the Needs of All. He has emphasized the need to focus on six specific priorities during his tenure: Peace and Security Accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals Climate action and environmental protection Human Rights Governance of Emerging Technologies UN Reform Diplomat Rahman cited Bangladesh’s experience in peacekeeping, Expressed its commitment to diplomacy, peacebuilding and civilian protection efforts to prevent conflicts. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe A bird’s eye view of the UN General Assembly. A period of increasing challenges Annalena Baerbock, head of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, said in her address after the vote that this is an exceptionally difficult time for multilateral diplomacy. The UN is not only facing a storm of challenges but there is also immense pressure on the organization. Achieving consensus on issues is becoming increasingly difficult and defending the UN Charter is becoming a daily necessity. According to him, the role of the President of the UN General Assembly is no longer limited to being merely procedural and there is no possibility of the international environment becoming easier in the coming days.UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres echoed these concerns and said that the world is going through a period of violent conflicts, fractures, increasing inequalities and climate disruption. According to him, progress towards realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals is slowing down, there is a shortage of finance for humanitarian aid and development purposes and international organizations are stuck in the 1945 era, without reflecting current realities. Secretary-General Guterres described the theme for the 81st session of the President-elect as an inspiring call to action in the multilateral system, which, according to him, Reflects the resolve to strengthen global cooperation.