New York — U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver the keynote address on Tuesday to open the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), setting the tone for a week-long gathering of world leaders in New York.
The speeches at the General Debate are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. (1300 GMT), with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and French President Emmanuel Macron also lined up to address the Assembly on its opening day.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock are expected to deliver welcome remarks before the world leaders take the podium.
This year’s session comes amid pressing global challenges, including the war in Ukraine and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The UN Security Council will hold a special session on Ukraine, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend.
More than 150 heads of state and government are scheduled to speak during the week, with debates likely to focus on international security, humanitarian crises, the UN’s financial shortfalls, and shifting global power dynamics — particularly the role of the United States under Trump’s leadership.
Nigeria will also be represented at the highest level, with Vice President Kashim Shettima leading the country’s delegation. Shettima, who arrived in New York ahead of the event, is standing in for President Bola Tinubu.
The 80th UNGA is expected to highlight both the tensions and opportunities shaping the current global order, as leaders gather to seek common ground on some of the world’s most urgent issues.
