On Tuesday, the UN General Assembly elected Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman as the President of its 81st session, which begins in September.
Rahman received 99 votes from member states. Cypriot candidate Andreas Kakouris secured the support of 91 delegations.
The President presides over the work of the UN General Assembly for one annual session. Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is currently presiding over the 80th session of the General Assembly.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated the President-elect and noted the relevance of his proposed theme for the upcoming session: “Rebuilding Trust, Managing Change: A United Nations That Works for Everyone.” According to the UN chief, this theme reflects a desire to strengthen the multilateral system, which has helped the world find solutions to common challenges since the Organization’s founding in 1945.
The Secretary-General also thanked Annalena Baerbock, acknowledging her contribution to advancing multilateralism, UN reform, and the implementation of the Pact for the Future.
Guterres emphasized that the new President will assume office at a time of grave global challenges, including armed conflict, deepening divisions between states, rising inequality, and the climate crisis.
The Secretary-General noted that the international community is facing a crisis of trust, with funding for humanitarian aid and sustainable development programs declining despite record levels of need.
“However, the intense work of diplomacy, dialogue, and cooperation that takes place day after day within the General Assembly gives me renewed hope that we can transform differences into a determination to act together for the common good,” he said.
