UNGA 81 Ends: Palestine, Iran, AI and Trump Dominated the Debate
The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly drew to a close on Monday, capping a general debate in which artificial intelligence, the Israel-Palestine conflict, Iran, global security and reform of the international order took centre stage.
Addresses by world leaders set out national positions on these issues, while the margins of the gathering hosted numerous bilateral and high-level meetings.
Antonio Guterres, delivering his final speech as UN Secretary-General before his tenure ends, said four challenges would determine what lies ahead: artificial intelligence, climate change, war and inequality.
"Across all four tests, the decisive issue is power. Power over force, money, energy, technology, rules and the future. That is why the UN Charter – and the work of the United Nations – matter more than ever," Guterres said.
Speeches spanned demands for change at the UN and appeals for adherence to international law, set against anxiety about how President Donald Trump's go-it-alone approach to foreign policy is affecting the world body.
Palestine
Several states used the platform to push for Palestinian statehood and for an end to bloodshed in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, keeping the Israel-Palestine conflict at the heart of the session.
Among those backing Palestinian sovereignty in their speeches were France, Canada, Iraq and the United Kingdom.
Emmanuel Macron, the French President, asked what standing the international community could claim given its handling of Gaza.
"What credibility do we have if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza," Macron said.
"Some boast of a supposed peace, but this peace hasn't reopened humanitarian routes for a single second," he said, adding: "Must we stand by and watch this spectacle that shames us all?"
A side meeting on Palestinian statehood was chaired by Macron alongside British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
That session unfolded as debate continued internationally over Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and what political future Palestine should have.
Separately, a Gaza reconstruction plan comprising 66 projects, with $2.4 billion in proposed funding, was presented by the US-led Board of Peace.
Under the blueprint, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is left out, with the plan stating the agency should play no part in Gaza's future.
Palestinian political analyst and playwright Ahmed Najar told Al Jazeera the move formed part of attempts to "marginalise and ultimately dismantle the agency, removing it not only from Gaza's present but from its future".
During the address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, dozens of delegates left the General Assembly hall in protest.
Netanyahu said Israeli forces would keep fighting Hamas and Iran.
Trump Defends Military Action In Venezuela And Iran
Donald Trump devoted his address to defending the military operations and foreign policy of his administration.
The US President said that while other leaders talked about peace, he had "made peace".
He stood behind the US operation that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, saying hundreds of political prisoners had been released afterwards.
Trump further stated that Caracas had signed what he called the biggest oil deal ever, covering "65 billion barrels of oil, which will benefit both Venezuela and the United States enormously and help drive down the cost of energy all over the world".
"It was perhaps the biggest deal ever made. To the victor belong the spoils – you've all heard that," Trump said.
Turning to Iran, Trump repeated that Washington would never permit Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons.
He said the 12-day war in July 2025 had "obliterated their nuclear programme beneath mountains of rubble", and claimed the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran had sent "159 ships of their navy" to the seabed.
"I have a big decision to make – will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before … or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again," Trump said.
He added: "I believe we make a deal right after the elections."
Iranian Officials Attract Diplomatic Attention
Iranian officials were prominent figures in a number of high-level side meetings during the assembly.
President Masoud Pezeshkian told the gathering that Iran had merely "defended ourselves" after attacks on the country and the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scientists and children.
"We are not terrorists, our innocent people have been the targets of cowardly attacks and aggressions imposed upon our country," Pezeshkian said.
He further rejected the notion that a small group of nations should hold exclusive control over peaceful nuclear technology.
"We will not bow our head and give up the right that is inherently ours," he said.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with counterparts from India, Qatar, Türkiye, Pakistan, Ukraine and other states.
Araghchi also sat down with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, in a four-hour meeting that was reportedly mediated by Qatar.
These contacts underlined the ongoing diplomacy around Iran's nuclear programme, regional security and the broader Middle East conflict.
AI Dominance
Artificial intelligence was another dominant theme of the general debate, as leaders urged closer international cooperation on the technology.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in his address, called AI the "most consequential technology in the history of mankind".
"It will impact science, the economy, politics, security, and the very essence of our humanity. Humans can and should be in the driver's seat. We have a choice: we can compete, cooperate or slow down. For me, cooperation is the best way forward," Stubb said.
The European Union and Guterres pressed for safety standards and international rules governing AI, while Trump spoke out against cross-border regulations that he argued could hold back innovation.
The exchanges laid bare a widening split over how governments should reconcile AI development and innovation with safety and regulation.
Xi Jinping Skips UNGA
Chinese President Xi Jinping was absent from the UNGA, even though he was in the United States for a summit with Trump.
Vice President Han Zheng was sent in his place to represent China.
Xi seldom travels to the UN General Assembly in person. China was represented last year by Premier Li Qiang, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended in 2024.
In his address, Han restated China's stance on Middle East conflicts and urged respect for the sovereignty and security of countries in the region.
"China calls for advancing the governance of the West Bank and the post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza in accordance with the principle of the Palestinians governing Palestine. It also calls for bringing the Palestinian question back onto the right track of the two-state solution at an early date," Han said.
On artificial intelligence, he advocated a "people-centred approach" and urged states to develop AI "for the positive and for good", close the digital divide and pursue development that benefits people universally.
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