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Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman
In a historic diplomatic milestone for Bangladesh, Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman will officially assume the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday (September 8) for a one-year term.
Dr. Rahman will gavel the 81st session open at 3:00 PM local time at the UN Headquarters in New York, succeeding Germany's former foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock. Running through September 7, 2027, the session is themed "Restoring Trust, Managing Transitions: An Effective UN for All."
Ahead of the opening, Dr. Rahman held a bilateral meeting in New York with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, while Bangladesh's Permanent Mission to the UN extended felicitations on his ascension to the high global post.
Dr. Rahman secured the presidency during the election held at UN Headquarters on June 2, prevailing in a secret ballot with 99 votes against 91 cast for Cyprus’s Andreas Kakouris, out of 190 total votes.
The UNGA presidency rotates annually among the five regional groupings, with the Asia-Pacific Group holding the seat for the 81st session. Dr. Rahman’s assumption of the mantle marks Bangladesh's return to the UNGA presidency after four decades, with Humayun Rasheed Choudhury having previously presided over the 41st session in 1986–87.
