UNGA 81: Five key takeaways from general debate

What the report says

The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly wrapped up in New York with artificial intelligence, the Israel-Palestine conflict and wider wars emerging as the main themes in speeches by world leaders, according to Al Jazeera. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used his final UNGA address before leaving office to warn that the world faces major tests tied to AI, climate change, war and inequality.

Al Jazeera reports that the debate was especially focused on Palestine. Several countries, including France, Canada, Iraq and the United Kingdom, urged support for Palestinian statehood and condemned the scale of suffering in Gaza. A separate meeting on Palestinian statehood was held on the sidelines of the summit, while a proposed reconstruction framework for Gaza drew criticism for excluding the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Dozens of delegates also walked out when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke.

The summit also featured sharp exchanges over the Iran conflict and US foreign policy. US President Donald Trump defended military action against Iran and Venezuela, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran had only defended itself and would not give up its right to peaceful nuclear technology. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held multiple meetings with foreign counterparts and US envoys on the sidelines.

AI was another dominant issue, with leaders calling for international coordination and safeguards. Guterres and the European Union backed global rules, while Trump argued the technology should not be constrained by outside regulation. China, represented by Vice President Han Zheng after President Xi Jinping skipped the meeting, also called for AI development that is people-centred and beneficial.