Dr. S. Jaishankar Addresses 81st Session of UN General Assembly in New York
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar delivered India's national address at the General Debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly session in New York on 26 September 2026. The session was presided over by Bangladesh's Dr. Khalilur Rahman under the theme 'Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all'.
What happened
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar represented India and delivered the national statement at the General Debate of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN Headquarters in New York on 26 September 2026. The 81st annual gathering of the General Debate ran from 22 September to 28 September 2026, following the formal opening of the session on 8 September 2026.
The 81st session was presided over by Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. Dr. Rahman was elected UNGA President on 2 June 2026 through a secret-ballot election in which he secured 99 votes, defeating Andreas Kakouris of Cyprus who received 91 votes. Dr. Rahman took office on 8 September 2026, succeeding Annalena Baerbock of Germany.
The official theme deliberated during the high-level debate of the 81st session was 'Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all'. Serving as the primary multilateral deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ of the United Nations, the General Assembly comprises 193 sovereign member states, each exercising equal single-vote representation.
Important dates
| Election of 81st UNGA President | 2 June 2026 |
|---|---|
| Opening of the 81st Session of UNGA | 8 September 2026 |
| Commencement of 81st UNGA General Debate | 22 September 2026 |
| Dr. S. Jaishankar delivers India's National Address | 26 September 2026 |
| Conclusion of 81st UNGA General Debate | 28 September 2026 |
| Founding of the United Nations | 24 October 1945 |
📌 Static GK links
- Headquarters of UN / UNGA: New York City, United States
- Founding Date of the United Nations: 24 October 1945
- Total Member States of UNGA: 193 sovereign nations
- Voting Rule in UNGA: One state, one vote (equal representation)
- President of the 81st UNGA: Dr. Khalilur Rahman (Bangladesh)
- Immediate Past President (80th UNGA): Annalena Baerbock (Germany)
What candidates should do
- Memorise the exact wording of the 81st UNGA theme, as international summit themes are frequently tested in Banking, SSC, and State PSC exams.
- Note the name and country of the incoming UNGA President, Dr. Khalilur Rahman (Bangladesh), along with his predecessor.
- Revise core static GK regarding the UN structure, including its founding date (24 October 1945), headquarters, and the total count of 193 member states.
PrepZen analysis
The General Debate of the UN General Assembly serves as the pre-eminent multilateral forum where member nations outline foreign policy priorities, geopolitical stances, and global cooperation frameworks. Dr. S. Jaishankar's representation marks India's participation at the global body's 81st assembly in New York.
For competitive examinations, international bodies like the UN are high-yield areas. Questions in UPSC Prelims, State PSCs, and Banking Awareness typically focus on session ordinals, official debate themes, presiding dignitaries and their nationalities, and fundamental institutional facts such as the number of member states and voting procedures.
Practice questions
Q1. Who served as the President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)?
Q2. What was the official theme of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly?
Q3. Which of the following statements regarding the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is correct?
The official theme deliberated during the 81st session was 'Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all'.
The 81st gathering of the global assembly was presided over by Dr. Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh.
Serving as the UN's universal multilateral deliberative organ, the General Assembly functions with 193 sovereign state participants, each having equal single-vote representation.
FAQs
When did Dr. S. Jaishankar address the 81st UNGA session?
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar addressed the General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly session on 26 September 2026.
Which country held the presidency of the 81st UN General Assembly?
Bangladesh held the presidency of the 81st UN General Assembly, represented by its Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman.
Whom did Dr. Khalilur Rahman succeed as UNGA President?
Dr. Khalilur Rahman succeeded Annalena Baerbock of Germany, taking office on 8 September 2026.
How many countries are members of the United Nations General Assembly?
The UN General Assembly comprises 193 sovereign member states, each having an equal single vote.
Official sources
- mea.gov.in (www.mea.gov.in) Official
- un.org (www.un.org) Official
- wikipedia.org (en.wikipedia.org)
- thehindu.com (www.thehindu.com)
Prepared by the PrepZen Editorial Team from official releases and verified reports, for exam preparation. Spotted an error? Write to prepzen.app@gmail.com.
Practice Quiz — 26 September 2026
Q1. Regarding the 'Make in India' initiative, consider the following statements: 1. It completed 12 years of implementation on 25 September 2026. 2. Under 'Make in India 2.0', the programme covers 27 sectors, consisting of 15 manufacturing sectors and 12 service sectors. 3. It is administratively steered by the Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q2. The newly notified Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 2026, which introduces the 'special cause' condition for summoning bank records, replaces which colonial-era legislation?
Q3. What is the primary ticket-size investment bracket designated for early-stage startups under the SEBI-approved IIT-Madras Unicorn Venture Fund launched in Bengaluru?
Q4. Which trade facilitation body orchestrated the maiden export shipment of GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal from Karnataka to the Maldives?
Q5. India's first dedicated 'Victims Rights Centre', aimed at providing comprehensive legal and case management assistance to crime victims, was inaugurated in which city?
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