Khalilur Rahman set to assume UNGA presidency on September 8

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman is set to assume the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 8 September.

The 81st UNGA session will officially open on 8 September, with the high-level general debate scheduled to begin on 22 September. Heads of state and government are expected to address the Assembly during the debate.

Dr Khalilur Rahman will preside over the session after being elected president of the 81st UNGA through a secret-ballot vote at the UN headquarters in New York on 2 June.

He defeated Andreas S Kakouris, special envoy to the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, by an eight-vote margin. The election marked a significant diplomatic achievement for Bangladesh, which secured the UNGA presidency for the second time.

Bangladesh first held the prestigious post in 1986, when former foreign secretary and politician Humayun Rashid Choudhury served as president of the 41st session of the General Assembly.

Four decades later, another Bangladeshi diplomat is set to take the helm of the UN General Assembly, the world’s largest multilateral forum.

As UNGA president, Dr Khalilur Rahman will chair plenary meetings and oversee the Assembly’s proceedings throughout the 81st session, including the high-level general debate.