By Javier Surasky
The 80th
regular session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is about to begin.
A week later, the grand annual “show” of international relations will unfold:
the General Debate, where numerous heads of state and government, along with
many ministers, parade across the podium to deliver speeches to the
international society of states gathered in the largest hall of the UN building
in New York.
This year,
the General Debate—usually held over several days—will start on Tuesday,
September 23, and continue through Saturday, September 27, ending on Monday,
September 29. Daily working hours will be from 9:00 AM to 2:45 PM and from 3:00
PM to 9:00 PM (New York time).
The theme
for this year’s Debate is “Together we are better: 80 years and beyond for
peace, development and human rights.” Just before it begins, at 9:00 AM on
Tuesday, the 23rd, the Secretary-General will present his report, followed by a
speech from the President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock (Germany).
To clarify:
the General Debate is not, by any means, a debate, but rather a
succession of speeches that, according to protocol, can last up to 15 minutes
per country. The lack of respect among international leaders for their peers
often means this limit is exceeded. However, at the end of the debate, Member
States may request the right of reply if they believe offensive or false
statements have been made that concern them.
Indeed, the
longest speech in the history of General Debates was delivered in 1960 by Fidel
Castro, lasting over four and a half hours. That same year, Nikita Khrushchev,
then leader of the USSR, allegedly banged his shoe on the table in protest at
the speech by the representative of the Philippines. We say “allegedly” because
while witnesses confirmed it and Khrushchev acknowledged it in his memoirs,
there is no video footage of the moment.
As
tradition dictates, the first country to speak will be Brazil, followed by the
United States. After that, speaking slots are assigned based on a mix of who
requested earlier and the rank of the representative (presidents talk first,
then prime ministers, then ministers, etc.).
Exceptionally
and quite strikingly, in 2021, a Tyrannosaurus named Frankie virtually “took
the podium” to warn humanity about the risks of climate change and extinction—a
UNDP production that can be watched here.
The
speeches by world leaders (and Frankie) are delivered in person, though there
was an exception: the 75th Debate was held virtually due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
One
unusual—and, in my opinion, adorable—moment occurred in 2018, when New
Zealand's then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern brought her three-month-old
breastfeeding baby into the chamber, with a badge reading “New Zealand’s
First Baby.” However, when it was her turn to speak, she handed the baby to
her husband.
The UN webcastservice will livestream the speeches in the original language and with
interpretation into the six official UN languages. At the same time, the UN’sYouTube channel will stream only in English. Additionally, there is a dedicatedwebsite for the Debate with relevant information.
As every
year, several high-level meetings and side events will be held around the
General Debate. For 2025, the following are scheduled:
Monday, September 22:
- High-Level Meeting to celebrate
the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.
- High-Level Meeting on the 30th
anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
- SDG
Moment.
Wednesday, September 24:
- First Biennial Summit for a
Sustainable, Inclusive, and Resilient Global Economy: “Delivering on
Development Finance Commitments.”
- Special
Event on Climate.
Thursday, September 25:
- Fourth High-Level Meeting on
the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and Promotion of
Mental Health and Well-being.
- High-Level Meeting to celebrate
the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth.
Friday, September 26:
- High-Level Meeting to mark the
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
A day after
the General Debate ends, on September 30, the High-Level Conference on the
Situation of the Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar will be held.
Continuing
a long-standing tradition, before the Debate, the Secretary-General draws lots
to determine which national delegation will occupy the first seat in the hall
(first row, to the left), and the rest are seated alphabetically in English,
starting from that “State 1.” This year, the privilege went to Niger.
Over its 79
previous editions, the General Debate has left us with iconic moments. As we
await this year’s event, where we expect to hear much about Gaza, COP30,
artificial intelligence, and UN reform, here are a few past highlights:
- In 1972, Ugandan President Idi
Amin praised British Prime Minister Edward Heath in his speech, comparing
him to Hitler, though he later corrected himself: “Not Hitler, I meant
Winston Churchill. Mr. Heath is like Winston Churchill.”
- In 2006, Venezuelan President
Hugo Chávez spoke the day after U.S. President George W. Bush, stating: “Yesterday,
the devil came here. Right here. And it still smells of
sulfur.”
- In 2017, during his first term,
Donald Trump referred to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un as “Rocket
Man” because of repeated missile tests.
- In 2019, UK Prime Minister
Boris Johnson gave a memorable speech on AI risks, referencing terminators
and asking: “What will synthetic biology stand for? Restoring our livers and our
eyes with miracle regeneration of the tissues, like some fantastic
hangover cure, or will it bring terrifying limbless chickens to our
tables?”
Although the list is still provisional, the document includes the schedule and level of representation for each country as currently planned. The provisional list of speakers remains subject to change.
September
23
Morning
(9:00 AM to 2:45 PM)
- United
Nations Secretary-General
- President of the 80th General
Assembly
- Brazil
(Head of State)
- United States (Head of State)
- Indonesia
(Head of State)
- Turkey
(Head of State)
- Peru
(Head of State)
- Jordan
(Head of State)
- Republic of Korea (Head of
State)
- Qatar
(Head of State)
- Suriname
(Head of State)
- Lithuania
(Head of State)
- Portugal
(Head of State)
- Uruguay
(Head of State)
- Slovenia
(Head of State)
- Egypt
(Head of State)
- Kazakhstan
(Head of State)
- South Africa (Head of State)
- Uzbekistan
(Head of State)
Afternoon (3:00 PM to 9:00 PM)
- Mongolia
(Head of State)
- Turkmenistan
(Head of State)
- Chile
(Head of State)
- Tajikistan
(Head of State)
- Lebanon
(Head of State)
- France
(Head of State)
- Kyrgyzstan
(Head of State)
- El Salvador (Head of State)
- Poland
(Head of State)
- Mozambique
(Head of State)
- Mexico
(Head of State)
- Vietnam
(Head of State)
- Angola
(Head of State)
- Romania
(Head of State)
- Morocco
(Head of State)
- Maldives
(Head of State)
- India
(Head of State)
- Finland
(Head of State)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (Head of State)
September
24
Morning
(9:00 AM to 2:45 PM)
- Algeria
(Head of State)
- Ukraine
(Head of State)
- Monaco
(Head of State)
- Iran (Islamic Republic of)
(Head of State)
- Panama
(Head of State)
- Czech Republic (Head of State)
- Sweden
(Head of State)
- Latvia
(Head of State)
- Kenya
(Head of State)
- Paraguay
(Head of State)
- Estonia
(Head of State)
- Argentina
(Head of State)
- Serbia
(Head of State)
- Saudi Arabia (Head of State)
- Croatia
(Head of State)
- Sierra Leone (Head of State)
- Gambia
(Head of State)
- Cyprus
(Head of State)
Afternoon (3:00 PM to 9:00 PM)
- Dominican Republic (Head of
State)
- Sri Lanka (Head of State)
- Honduras
(Head of State)
- Guatemala
(Head of State)
- Comoros
(Head of State)
- Ecuador
(Head of State)
- Namibia
(Head of State)
- Guyana
(Head of State)
- Kiribati
(Head of State)
- Senegal
(Head of State)
- Slovakia
(Head of State)
- Marshall Islands (Head of
State)
- Central African Republic (Head
of State)
- Zambia
(Head of State)
- Albania
(Head of State)
- Congo
(Head of State)
- Nigeria
(Head of State)
September 25
Morning (9:00 AM to 2:45 PM)
- Tunisia
(Head of State)
- Somalia
(Head of State)
- Montenegro
(Head of State)
- State of Palestine (Head of
State)
- North Macedonia (Head of State)
- Haiti
(Head of State)
- Comoros
(Head of State)
- Bolivia (Plurinational State
of) (Head of State)
- Georgia
(Head of State)
- Liberia
(Head of State)
- Burundi
(Head of State)
- Gabon
(Head of State)
- Ghana
(Head of State)
- Chad
(Head of State)
- Democratic Republic of the
Congo (Head of State)
- Guinea-Bissau (Head of State)
- Guinea
(Head of State)
- Eswatini
(Head of State)
Afternoon (3:00 PM to 9:00 PM)
- Philippines
(Head of State)
- Libya
(Head of State)
- Botswana
(Head of State)
- Trinidad and Tobago (Head of
State)
- Côte d'Ivoire (Head of State)
- Mauritania (Islamic Republic
of) (Head of State)
- United Arab Emirates (Head of
State)
- European
Union
- European
Council
- Holy
See
- State
of Palestine
- Côte
d'Ivoire (Vice President)
- Kuwait (Crown Prince)
September 26
Morning
(9:00 AM to 2:45 PM)
- Israel
(Head of Government)
- Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
(Head of Government)
- China
(Head of Government)
- Thailand
(Head of Government)
- United Kingdom (Head of
Government)
- India
(Head of Government)
- Mauritius
(Head of Government)
- Armenia
(Head of Government)
- Ireland
(Head of Government)
- Japan
(Head of Government)
- Italy
(Head of Government)
- Nepal
(Head of Government)
- Pakistan
(Head of Government)
- Malta
(Head of Government)
- Bhutan
(Head of Government)
- Spain
(Head of Government)
- Bangladesh
(Head of Government)
Afternoon (3:00 PM to 9:00 PM)
- Lesotho
(Head of Government)
- Greece
(Head of Government)
- Cabo Verde (Head of Government)
- Bulgaria
(Head of Government)
- Saint Lucia (Head of
Government)
- New Zealand (Head of
Government)
- Niger
(Head of Government)
- Andorra
(Head of Government)
- Trinidad and Tobago (Head of
Government)
- Australia
(Head of Government)
- Antigua and Barbuda (Head of
Government)
- Belarus
(Head of Government)
- Barbados
(Head of Government)
- Belize
(Head of Government)
- Papua New Guinea (Head of
Government)
- Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines (Head of Government)
- Fiji (Head of Government)
September
27
Morning
(9:00 AM to 2:45 PM)
- Bahamas
(Head of Government)
- Mali
(Head of Government)
- Jamaica
(Head of Government)
- Togo
(Head of Government)
- Grenada
(Head of Government)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis (Head of
Government)
- Canada
(Head of Government)
- Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines (Head of Government)
- Nauru
(Head of Government)
- Cameroon
(Deputy Prime Minister)
- United Arab Emirates (Deputy
Prime Minister)
- Russian
Federation (Minister)
- Norway
(Minister)
- Cuba
(Minister)
- Brunei
Darussalam (Minister)
- Germany
(Minister)
Afternoon (3:00 PM to 7:00 PM)
- San
Marino (Minister)
- Denmark
(Minister)
- Saudi
Arabia (Minister)
- Austria
(Minister)
- Nicaragua
(Minister)
- Singapore
(Minister)
- Seychelles
(Minister)
- Oman
(Minister)
- Malaysia
(Minister)
- Bahrain
(Minister)
- Djibouti
(Minister)
- Iceland
(Minister)
- Belarus
(Minister)
- Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (Minister)
September
29
Morning
(9:00 AM to 2:45 PM)
- Hungary
(Minister)
- Malawi
(Minister)
- Eritrea
(Minister)
- Ethiopia
(Minister)
- Benin
(Minister)
- Zambia
(Minister)
- Costa
Rica (Minister)
- Holy
See (Minister)
- Republic
of Moldova (Minister)
- Afghanistan
(Presidential Delegate)
- South
Sudan (Presidential Delegate)