Join us LIVE for the 80th United Nations General Assembly debate! From 23 – 27 and 29 September 2025. Heads of State and Government, ministers and advocates come together to explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.
The theme for the general debate of the 80th session of the General Assembly is "Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights".
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Secretary-General / Peace Bell
– 9/11
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Secretary-General’s Phone Calls
– Security Council
– Afghanistan/Humanitarian
– Afghanistan/National Female Staff Members
– Sudan
– Sudan / Humanitarian
– Central African Republic
– Myanmar
– Guests
SECRETARY-GENERAL / PEACE BELL
Tomorrow morning, at approximately 8:55 a.m., the Secretary-General will participate in the annual ringing of the Peace Bell in the Japanese Garden, and that is on the occasion of the 44th Anniversary of the International Day of Peace.
This will take place in the presence of Representatives of Permanent Missions and officials of the Secretariat and others.
9/11
Today is September 11th and as we mark 24 years since the horrific September 11 terror attacks on this city, the Secretary-General’s thoughts are with everyone who lost their lives on 9/11, and with all the people of our shared city.
New York has hosted the United Nations for 80 years and has been the home to many of our colleagues, as well as to diplomats, staff and of course all of the Secretaries-General. We continue to stand in solidarity with the people of New York, as we did 24 years ago.
The United Nations once more underscores its commitment to never forget the nearly 3,000 people from over 90 different countries whose lives were taken on that day, and the thousands more who were injured or sickened.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs say that nearly one million people estimated to be in Gaza City are facing daily bombardment and struggling to access the means for survival after the Israeli military placed the entire city under displacement orders.
As the Israeli offensive on famine-stricken Gaza City intensifies, people are once again being displaced, with no safe place to turn. Our partners monitoring the movement of people in Gaza say that between Sunday and yesterday, more than 25,000 displacements were recorded.
Some critical services have already been suspended in Gaza City, as aid workers struggle to save lives. Severe damage has also been inflicted on some humanitarian facilities, disrupting operations and the delivery of essential services.
Our partners working on health report that some of them have had to suspend activities at primary healthcare centres, while partners working on nutrition say that 12 out of 49 outpatient therapeutic sites have halted services amid the ongoing airstrikes in Gaza City. At least two community kitchens have also suspended operations, and three others have had to relocate within the city.
Our partners working on education have expressed concerns that 95 temporary learning sites in northern Gaza serving about 25,000 children may be at imminent risk of closure, due to displacement orders and ongoing insecurity.
UNICEF warned that today, child malnutrition continues to worsen at an alarming rate, with the latest evidence showing a record proportion of children screened were identified as acutely malnourished in August. That’s 13.5 per cent of those screened, up from 8.3 per cent in July.
In raw numbers, 12,800 children were identified as acutely malnourished in August, That’s what the latest figures are from our nutrition partners.
UNICEF has been working to scale up the entry of essential nutrition supplies and distribute them, alongside nutrition partners, at about 140 sites across the Gaza strip. While stocks of ready-to-use therapeutic food have recently increased, the current quantities of other critical nutrition supplies for infants and pregnant and breastfeeding women are wholly insufficient.
The World Health Organization tells us that almost half of all functioning hospitals are located in Gaza City, including half of all ICU beds for the Gaza strip. With the Israeli offensive already underway in that area, WHO said the Gaza Strip cannot afford to lose any of these remaining facilities.
Meanwhile, delays and impediments to humanitarian movements inside Gaza continue.
OCHA tells us that missions still take long hours to complete, even when they are approved in advance by the Israeli authorities, and teams have no choice but to wait on roads that are often dangerous or congested. Recently, OCHA also observed an increase in denials of the participation of Palestinian staff in missions. This includes both drivers and programme personnel. These denials are often communicated at the last minute, resulting in operational delays, as teams need to quickly identify other alternatives.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=11%20September%202025
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Secretary-General / Peace Bell
9/11
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Secretary-General’s Phone Calls
Security Council
Afghanistan/Humanitarian
Afghanistan/National Female Staff Members
Sudan
Sudan / Humanitarian
Central African Republic
Myanmar
Guests
SECRETARY-GENERAL / PEACE BELL
Tomorrow morning, at approximately 8:55 a.m., the Secretary-General will participate in the annual ringing of the Peace Bell in the Japanese Garden, and that is on the occasion of the 44th Anniversary of the International Day of Peace.
This will take place in the presence of Representatives of Permanent Missions and officials of the Secretariat and others.
9/11
Today is September 11th and as we mark 24 years since the horrific September 11 terror attacks on this city, the Secretary-General’s thoughts are with everyone who lost their lives on 9/11, and with all the people of our shared city.
New York has hosted the United Nations for 80 years and has been the home to many of our colleagues, as well as to diplomats, staff and of course all of the Secretaries-General. We continue to stand in solidarity with the people of New York, as we did 24 years ago.
The United Nations once more underscores its commitment to never forget the nearly 3,000 people from over 90 different countries whose lives were taken on that day, and the thousands more who were injured or sickened.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs say that nearly one million people estimated to be in Gaza City are facing daily bombardment and struggling to access the means for survival after the Israeli military placed the entire city under displacement orders.
As the Israeli offensive on famine-stricken Gaza City intensifies, people are once again being displaced, with no safe place to turn. Our partners monitoring the movement of people in Gaza say that between Sunday and yesterday, more than 25,000 displacements were recorded.
Some critical services have already been suspended in Gaza City, as aid workers struggle to save lives. Severe damage has also been inflicted on some humanitarian facilities, disrupting operations and the delivery of essential services.
Our partners working on health report that some of them have had to suspend activities at primary healthcare centres, while partners working on nutrition say that 12 out of 49 outpatient therapeutic sites have halted services amid the ongoing airstrikes in Gaza City. At least two community kitchens have also suspended operations, and three others have had to relocate within the city.
Our partners working on education have expressed concerns that 95 temporary learning sites in northern Gaza serving about 25,000 children may be at imminent risk of closure, due to displacement orders and ongoing insecurity.
UNICEF warned that today, child malnutrition continues to worsen at an alarming rate, with the latest evidence showing a record proportion of children screened were identified as acutely malnourished in August. That’s 13.5 per cent of those screened, up from 8.3 per cent in July.
In raw numbers, 12,800 children were identified as acutely malnourished in August, That’s what the latest figures are from our nutrition partners.
UNICEF has been working to scale up the entry of essential nutrition supplies and distribute them, alongside nutrition partners, at about 140 sites across the Gaza strip. While stocks of ready-to-use therapeutic food have recently increased, the current quantities of other critical nutrition supplies for infants and pregnant and breastfeeding women are wholly insufficient.
The World Health Organization tells us that almost half of all functioning hospitals are located in Gaza City, including half of all ICU beds for the Gaza strip. With the Israeli offensive already underway in that area, WHO said the Gaza Strip cannot afford to lose any of these remaining facilities.
Meanwhile, delays and impediments to humanitarian movements inside Gaza continue.
OCHA tells us that missions still take long hours to complete, even when they are approved in advance by the Israeli authorities, and teams have no choice but to wait on roads that are often dangerous or congested. Recently, OCHA also observed an increase in denials of the participation of Palestinian staff in missions. This includes both drivers and programme personnel. These denials are often communicated at the last minute, resulting in operational delays, as teams need to quickly identify other alternatives.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=11%20September%202025
Whenever a new cancer patient entered her office in the U.S., Dr. May Abdel-Wahab knew she could probably save their life. Now, as Director of the Division of Human Health at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), she delivers hope to patients in places where treatment has until now been unavailable.
“So much can be done to treat cancer, but too many people in the developing world have no access to care. It’s unthinkable. It’s unfair.”
With global cancer cases expected to mount in the next two decades, the IAEA is equipping low- and middle income countries with training and radiotherapy to help more people survive the disease. In this episode, Dr. May Abdel-Wahab reflects on the outlook for cancer outcomes around the world, the challenges of anchoring new treatment centres, and shares how her upbringing taught her to see the world as one human family.
“Every person that walks through the door is a new person, a new friend […] if they leave the exam room with a smile and feeling hope, then you’ve done a good job.”
[00:00] Introduction
[01:13] Peaceful uses of nuclear science
[02:37] Confronting inequality in cancer care
[08:06] Health is a human right
[09:50] What keeps Dr. May awake at night
[12:41] Harnessing AI for cancer treatment
[13:58] Using nuclear science to tackle malnutrition
[16:39] From chemotherapy under a tree to modern centres
[19:03] Transitioning from patient care to global cancer work
[23:38] Early inspirations and familial influences
[25:27] Choosing radiation oncology
[27:21] Finding hope in every case
[28:37] The importance of human connection in medicine
[29:55] Coping with loss and limitations
[32:42] Hope for unity and progress
[34:04] Closing remarks
Listen to more Awake at Night episodes: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwoDFQJEq_0b6hu1e8oxsch9W0D7vkNqt
About Awake at Night
Hosted by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, the podcast ‘Awake at Night’ is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members
Press conference by Carmen Burbano, WFP’s Director of School Meals and Social Protection and Professor Donald Bundy, co-editorial lead for The State of School Feeding Worldwide report, Director of the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition, Professor of Epidemiology and Development at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Senior Adviser to the UN World Food Programme on school meals.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Gaza
– Ukraine
– Haiti
– Afghanistan
– Sudan
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Burkina Faso and Nigeria
– Nepal
– Health
– Financial Contribution
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the Israeli military reportedly hit more buildings in Gaza City today. Families gathered in the open after being warned that one of those buildings would be hit. While the Israeli military had instructed them to move south to Khan Younis, OCHA says many of them were unsure where to go next.
Since yesterday, the entire city has been under a blanket displacement order. Issuing displacement orders does not absolve parties to a conflict of their responsibilities to protect civilians in the conduct of their hostilities.
Today and yesterday, our colleagues tracking the movement of people in Gaza recorded more than 10,000 displacements from northern to southern areas, mostly in the direction of Khan Younis. People are using any means possible, including donkey carts.
As some families flee, many others are unable to do so because of health and safety concerns or high transportation costs.
Today, several primary healthcare centres and outpatient therapeutic feeding programs in Gaza City had to suspend services amid ongoing strikes. And the UN Population Fund warns that some 55,000 women are having to navigate pregnancy and childbirth amid perilous and traumatic conditions. Midwives continue to provide care, often under fire and with only the light of a mobile phone.
OCHA reiterates that under international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian infrastructure must always be protected and should never be a target. Civilian sites must also never be used to shield military operations.
GAZA
The Humanitarian Country Team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which brings together UN agencies and more than 200 NGOs, today said that we are witnessing a dangerous escalation in Gaza city, where Israeli forces have stepped up their operations and ordered everyone to move south.
The team says that nearly one million people are now left with no safe or viable options – neither the north nor the south offers safety.
Leaving northern Gaza means paying prohibitive costs for transport and safe passage, navigating roads that are barely passable, finding a place to sleep either in the open air or in overcrowded displacement sites, and continued struggles to secure food, water, medical care, and shelter.
The Humanitarian Country Team adds that amid ongoing Israeli impediments, the current levels of humanitarian support are wholly insufficient.
Humanitarian access must be expanded and sustained to include direct routes to both the north and the south.
UKRAINE
The Secretary-General is following with great concern the reports that Russian military drones entered Poland overnight, in violation of Poland’s airspace, resulting in damage to residential areas in the country.
The incident, which reportedly took place during another large-scale Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine, again underlines the regional impact and real risk of expansion of this devastating conflict. There is an urgent need for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire and for a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in Ukraine – one that fully upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty, its independence and its territorial integrity, in line with the Charter of the United Nations, international law and relevant UN resolutions.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=10%20September%202025
Remarks by Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the 1st plenary meeting of the 80th session of the General Assembly.
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Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated on Baerbock’s election — which holds added significance as she became only the fifth woman in history to be elected to this important role.
Addressing the General Assembly, Guterres said, “The United Nations provides the place. The Charter provides the tools. And the Pact for the Future, adopted last September, provided a shot in the arm for the multilateral system and the values that have defined this organization from day one.”
“The Pact reminds us that, eight decades on, we can and must continue rising above division and working together. To make our world a better, more peaceful and prosperous place for all,” he added.
The Secretary-General called on all Member States to “summon the same resolve and spirit of determination that brought delegates to San Francisco in 1945.”
“Let’s live up to their vision — and most importantly, to the expectations and hopes of today’s people around the world,” he concluded.
The debate of the 80th session will open on Tuesday, 23 September, continue through Saturday, 27 September, and conclude on Monday, 29 September 2025.
Briefing by Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, on the future of Peace Operations.
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Also addressing the Council today, Rosemary A. DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said, “There is one fundamental fact that no review, no matter how extensive or ambitious, can change: the failure or weak implementation of mandates is often related to the lack of political support for such operations – in the countries where they are deployed, among regional countries and in the Council, itself. We will therefore need to engage with a laser like focus on bringing the emphasis back to the political questions at the heart of each conflict and finding multilateral responses to them.”
UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations said, “Peacekeeping is not a luxury; it is a lifeline for millions who count on it for a future without fear.”
Addressing the Security Council today (09 Sep), Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said, “Peacekeeping is not a luxury; it is a lifeline for millions who count on it for a future without fear. Over 60,000 peacekeepers representing 115 Member States bravely carry out its vital work in 11 missions, making peacekeeping the UN’s largest and most visible activity in the field.”
He also said, “Rather than retreat we must use the expertise and valuable lessons from nearly eight decades of peacekeeping to use this valuable tool to respond to the legitimate expectations that “the peoples” hold towards the fulfillment of the Charter.”
He continued, “We continue to do our utmost to uphold the highest standards of conduct and discipline. We continue pre-deployment training on conduct and discipline for all uniformed personnel as well as in mission training. We provide avenues for victims to come forward, investigate allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse and when allegations are substantiated, we take the requisite action.”
He added, “From November 2024 to April 2025, we repatriated 17 uniformed personnel on disciplinary grounds. And together with concerned Member States, we have also actively sought solutions to address the too many pending paternity and child support claims – so that children fathered by peacekeepers and their mothers can have closure and assistance.”
He stressed, “To advance durable political solutions that enable peacekeeping to withdraw without a relapse into conflict requires the strong, unified and ongoing support of this Council – through the adoption of clear, prioritized mandates, active political engagement and statements of support. This must be matched by the payment of assessed contributions in full and on time.”
Also addressing the Council today, Rosemary A. DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said, “There is one fundamental fact that no review, no matter how extensive or ambitious, can change: the failure or weak implementation of mandates is often related to the lack of political support for such operations – in the countries where they are deployed, among regional countries and in the Council, itself. We will therefore need to engage with a laser like focus on bringing the emphasis back to the political questions at the heart of each conflict and finding multilateral responses to them.”
Earlier this morning, Ambassador Sangjin Kim, Charge d’affaires, a.i., Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, addressed the press, joined by representatives of Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom on Climate, Peace and Security in the context of UN Peace Operations.
He said, “For decades, UN peace operations have proven to be testaments of multilateralism in action –saving lives, preventing the spread of conflicts, and sustaining peace. At the same time, however, there is an increasing need for these operations to adapt and respond to complex challenges, notably climate change.”
He added, “Its devastating impacts such as droughts, floods, and land degradation have shown to exacerbate, prolong, or even trigger conflicts, affecting civilian populations as well as UN personnel and activities.”
He stated, “UN peace operations need to be climate-sensitive throughout the entire peace continuum.”
Press Conference: Launch of the UN Secretary-General’s report – The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future.
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“The world is spending far more on waging war than on building peace,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said as he presented a new report showing global military expenditure hit a record $2.7 trillion in 2024, soaring by more than nine per cent from 2023 and signaling a dangerous move away from the principles of the UN Charter.
That is “the equivalent of $334 for every person on Earth,” Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters. “That is nearly thirteen times the amount of official development assistance from the world’s wealthiest nations – and 750 times the regular budget of the United Nations.”
The report, ‘The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future,’ warns that soaring defense budgets are diverting resources from education, healthcare, and climate resilience at a time when only one in five Sustainable Development Goal targets is on track.
“Our shared promise of sustainable development is in jeopardy,” Guterres said. “The financing gap is growing – and so is the cost of inaction.”
He said the report carries three urgent messages: that the current trajectory is unsustainable, that a better path is possible, and that practical steps are needed to rebalance priorities. “Budgets are choices,” Guterres noted. “Redirecting even a fraction of today’s military spending could close vital gaps – putting children in school, strengthening primary health care, expanding clean energy and resilient infrastructure, and protecting the most vulnerable.”
“The evidence is clear,” he added. “Excessive military spending does not guarantee peace. It often undermines it – fueling arms races, deepening mistrust, and diverting resources from the very foundations of stability.”
Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said reversing the trend requires recommitting to multilateralism and diplomacy and warned of rising risks. “All nuclear weapon states have been investing huge amounts of money to modernize their nuclear arsenals, and soon, or we might already be in quantitative nuclear arms race starting,” she said. “There is also the rhetoric, or, in our view, misperception that nuclear weapons actually give the ultimate security, which is also causing yet another additional proliferation driver.”
UNDP Acting Administrator Haoliang Xu said the gains of recent decades are at risk. “The human growth that we have achieved over the last few decades will possibly decline. So, what happens from here, is up to us,” he said, urging a shift towards a people-centered and multi-dimensional approach to security.
The Secretary-General’s report projects global military spending could rise to $6.6 trillion by 2035 if current trends continue, further widening the $4 trillion annual financing gap needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
