There is no shortage of topics for discussion at the opening of the 81st session of the General Assembly in New York, at a time when concerns about AI, war, global warming and rising costs are sweeping the world.
AI development has come to the forefront of global concerns due to rapid development, a lack of industry control and many unknown factors.
“Don't give up”
Another burning issue is the future of the UN, and speculation is expected about who will lead the organisation after António Guterres, who will step down in the New Year.
Guterres says he has reflected on the global challenges facing humanity, he writes on X.
“We cannot give up the fight for a better world for all,” he writes.
Trump meets Macron
Alongside the large meeting, many leaders will also meet one-on-one. US President Donald Trump will meet individually with the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Ukraine, among others.
French President Emmanuel Macron has just arrived from the island group of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, a French territory off Canada's Atlantic coast, where he has met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Macron also plans to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
But several leaders will not attend the meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Trump in Washington on Wednesday, but will send another representative instead of attending the summit himself. Neither will Russian President Vladimir Putin or India's Narendra Modi.
Sweden's delegation is led by Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.
The United Nations was formed during the final stages of World War II. The UN Charter was signed by 51 member states in the summer of 1945 and entered into force on 24 October of that year. Today, the UN has 193 member states.
The work is led by the Secretary-General and is largely based on the UN Charter.
Important chambers where decisions are made are the General Assembly, the Security Council and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
In the General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, the 193 member states each have their own seat and vote. Decisions are made in the form of resolutions that are not binding on the member states. However, they are considered morally binding as they are a reflection of world opinion. A new General Assembly begins each year in September. This is also when the general debate is held, when leaders from the member states speak in the chamber, hold individual meetings and put forward initiatives.
Source: UN
