UNGA 2026 Preview: Global Crises, US Politics, and High-Stakes Diplomacy Take Center Stage in New York

Every September, world leaders descend on New York for the UN General Assembly, turning the Big Apple into a crowded stage for speeches, private meetings and high-stakes diplomacy. The event's key week begins on September 22, at a time when wars, political tension and funding cuts are testing the international system.

US President Donald Trump is expected to be at the centre of attention, with his administration's approach to Iran and the UN likely to shape much of the week. “Trump’s return to the UN will be filled with contradictions,” Daniel Forti, head of UN affairs at the International Crisis Group, told The National. “He will likely burnish his credentials as a peacemaker while defending US military operations abroad. He may take swipes at the UN because it is an easy target, while also asking the organisation for more assistance to achieve his foreign policies.”

Mr Forti said Mr Trump’s speech could “be tailored just as much to a domestic audience as to the leaders in the General Assembly Hall, as US midterm elections are fast approaching” in November. He added that the address would probably reflect the “turbulence” currently challenging the international order. That turbulence will be difficult to escape in New York, as UNGA 2026 comes more than six months into the US-Iran war, with the Strait of Hormuz still largely closed to normal commercial shipping.

The disruption of one of the world’s most important energy routes has added economic urgency to the search for a diplomatic path towards de-escalation. “UNGA is not traditionally a summit for major diplomatic breakthroughs. Many of the formal proceedings are tightly choreographed and reflect long-standing positions. But there's always a chance world leaders take advantage of being crammed in UN conference rooms to talk,” Mr Forti said. He pointed to last September's meeting between Mr Trump and leaders of eight Arab and Islamic states as an example, which he said helped lay the groundwork for the Gaza ceasefire.

France is expected to use its presidency at the Security Council this month to renew attention on the two-state solution, a year after the adoption of a declaration that diplomats have described as a road map for advancing the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The gathering will also carry particular significance for President Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to attend his final United Nations General Assembly high-level week as French president before his term ends in 2027.

Ukraine will remain another major focus as Russia continues its war on the country, with Kyiv and its western allies expected to seek international support and renewed diplomatic pressure on Moscow. Chinese President Xi Jinping, due in Washington for a September 24 meeting with Mr Trump, is not expected to attend the General Assembly.

The race to select the next UN Secretary General will also push private diplomacy in New York, as candidates court support especially from the five veto-wielding permanent Security Council members – the US, China, Russia, Britain and France.