Bangladesh FM is elected UNGA President: A great Achievement for
Muslim Ummah
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Dr. Syed Mehboob
Senior Research Editor
The News Lark,
political and economic analyst
Bangladesh and its people are a peace-loving nation. They want to play an important role in the promotion of global peace and harmony. It is a matter of great pleasure and honour for the people and the leadership of Bangladesh that its Foreign Minister, Mr. Khalil ur Rehman, has been elected as the president of the United Nations’ General Assembly’s (UNGA) eighty-first session, generating 99 votes in a secret ballot. He defeated Cyprus Ambassador Mr. Andreas Kakouris in a closely contested vote, thus taking the helm of the world’s most representative diplomatic body at a time of mounting pressure on the multilateral system. On 2nd June 2026, in the secret ballot, Mr. Khalil ur Rehman secured ninety-nine votes, eight more than his competitor. A total of 190 votes were cast. He will serve a one-year term starting on September 8, 2026. The presidency rotates among the United Nations’ five regional groups, and the eighty-first session falls to the Asia-Pacific group.
When I heard the news, I immediately sent a congratulatory message to the Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh (DHCB), His Excellency Mr. Sakib Sadakat. We, the people of Pakistan, consider Bangladesh’s every success as our own. I was very happy to know that, and shared this news with my friends and journalists.
The president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is a position elected by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly ( UNGA) on a yearly basis. The president is the chair and presiding officer of the General Assembly.
The presidency rotates annually between the five geographic groups: Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Western Europe and other States. Despite their powerful global structure, some of the largest, most powerful countries have ever held the presidency, including five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Japan. A few countries had a national elected as president of UNGA twice: Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Germany, Hungary and Bangladesh.
President over the deliberations of the 193 member states and sets the agenda for the annual assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The 81st session will be highly significant as it coincides with the selection process for the next UN Secretary-General.
Mr. Khalil ur Rehman is a highly experienced, dedicated, and committed diplomat and served as National Security Adviser (NSA) and high representative on the Rohingya issue before becoming Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister in February 2026 when the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won in the country’s first election since a student-led uprising ousted longtime leader Sheikh Hasina in 2024. A career diplomat, he joined Bangladesh’s foreign service in 1979. He also held a senior UN position in New York and Geneva. “The UN will commence its ninth decade at a time when trust in our organization is being tested on multiple fronts,” he told diplomats assembled at the UNGA as he accepted the new role. “Taken together, these challenges tend to undermine the public trust and confidence in the ability of our organization to deliver its promises.”
Outgoing UNGA President Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s foreign minister, highlighted how trust in multilateralism is under growing strain. The UN is facing “not only headwinds, but immense pressure”, with consensus increasingly difficult to achieve and defense of the UN Charter becoming “a daily necessity”. “The role of the president of the General Assembly is no longer simply procedural,” she said. She also warned that the international environment was unlikely to become easier during the coming year, as the Assembly continues work on implementing the Pact for the Future, advancing reform efforts through the UNO initiative and navigating broader geopolitical divisions.
The General Assembly is the UN’s most representative body, bringing together all 193 Member States, each with one vote. Its annual gathering in September in New York is the only UN forum where world leaders of all countries, small and large, can speak.
While its resolutions are generally not legally binding, the body serves as the principal forum for international deliberation on key topics, from security to human rights, reflecting global opinion.
The UNGA also makes key decisions for the UN, including appointing the secretary-general on the recommendation of the UN Security Council, electing the non-permanent members of the UNSC, and approving the UN budget.
Secretary-General António Guterres echoed those concerns, describing a world confronting “conflicts, divisions, rising inequality and climate chaos.” He also pointed to slowing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), declining funding for humanitarian action and development, and international institutions that remain “stuck in the world as it was in 1945, not the world of today.”
Mr. Khalil ur Rahman said his presidency would focus on six broad priorities: peace and security; accelerating progress on the SDGs; climate action and environmental protection; human rights; governance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and UN reform.
Drawing on Bangladesh's experience in peacekeeping, he pledged to support preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding and civilian protection. He also highlighted the need to address development financing gaps, advance implementation of the Global Digital Compact and strengthen the UN’s effectiveness at a time of growing pressure on multilateral institutions.
Mr. Khalil ur Rahman’s overarching theme for the session is “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All.”
Secretary-General Guterres described the theme as “an inspiring call to action for the multilateral system” and said it reflected a commitment to strengthening global cooperation.
The President-elect said he intends to act as a bridge-builder, promising to engage all Member States and seek common ground despite growing divisions.
“As your president, I will dedicate myself to rebuilding trust, nurturing consensus, and opening space for good faith negotiations that will lead to outcomes for all that are owned by all,” he said.
He also pledged to uphold the UN Charter, maintain geographical and gender balance within his office and support the needs of smaller delegations.
The General Assembly is the UN’s most representative body, bringing together all 193 Member States, each with one vote.
While its resolutions are generally not legally binding, the Assembly serves as the principal forum for international deliberation on peace and security, development, human rights, and international law.
The 81st session will open on 8 September, with world leaders gathering two While the presidency of the General Assembly is largely ceremonial, it is also prestigious. It is the U.N. organ where countries, large and small, can speak, and is the scene of the only annual gathering of world leaders in September.
The General Assembly controls the U.N. budget, adopts treaties, addresses global issues from poverty to corruption, and passes numerous resolutions that, while not legally binding, almost always reflect global opinion.
It has taken the spotlight in reacting to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza because action by the U.N. Security Council has been blocked by the veto power of Russia on Ukraine and, often, the United States on Gaza.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister’s selection as the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 's eighty-first session is a good omen for every peace-loving person in general and for the Muslim ummah in particular. We extend our heartiest congratulations to the people and leadership of Bangladesh. Pakistan Bangladesh Dosti Zindabad.
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