General debate of the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly

The order of speakers is given first to member states, then observer states and supranational bodies. Any other observer entities will have a chance to speak at the end of the debate, if they so choose. Speakers will be put on the list in the order of their request, with special consideration for ministers and other government officials of similar or higher rank. According to the rules in place for the general debate, the statements should be in one of the United Nations official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish) and will be interpreted by interpreters.^[2] Each speaker is requested to provide advance copies of their statements to the conference officers to facilitate interpretation. The theme for the 2026 general debate was chosen by the President of the General Assembly, Khalilur Rahman, as: "Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all."^[1]

Since 1955, Brazil and the United States have been the first and second countries to speak.^[9] Other countries follow according to a speaking schedule issued by the Secretariat.^[2]

The list of speakers is published and updated daily in the Journal of the United Nations,^[10] and on the general debate website.^[11] The general debate will be held from Tuesday, 22 September to Saturday, 26 September, and on Monday, 28 September 2026.^[12] A revised provisional list of speakers was issued by the Secretariat on 4 September 2026.^[13][14]