UNGA 80: Modi, Shehbaz, and Dr. Yunus to Speak on Same Day at High-Stakes UN Session

At the upcoming 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), scheduled to begin on September 23 in New York, three key South Asian leaders—Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—are set to deliver their speeches on the same day, September 26.

According to a preliminary schedule shared by UN officials, Prime Minister Modi is slated to speak first, immediately followed by PM Shehbaz Sharif. Diplomatic observers suggest that this sequence gives Islamabad a strategic opportunity to respond directly to New Delhi’s narrative on the global stage.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will lead a high-level Pakistani delegation that includes Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the PM’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs, Tariq Fatemi.

While the 80th General Assembly will be officially inaugurated on September 9, the high-level General Debate will take place from September 23 to 29. This year’s theme is: “Better Together: Eighty Years and Beyond for Peace, Development, and Human Rights.”

As per tradition, the President of Brazil will deliver the first address, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump—his first UN speech since being re-elected for a second term.

Following the addresses by the Indian and Pakistani leaders, speeches will also be delivered on the same day by the leaders of Israel, China, and Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor, Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Analysts believe this rare sequence of speeches will bring new diplomatic intensity to South Asia’s presence at the global forum.

Diplomatic sources anticipate that while India is expected to highlight issues of national sovereignty and security, Pakistan is likely to emphasize the Kashmir dispute and regional stability. A senior Pakistani diplomat noted, “The world has already witnessed how quickly South Asia can descend into conflict. Without a just resolution to the Kashmir issue, the UN’s goals of peace, development, and human rights will remain unfulfilled in the region.”

This year’s session is expected to be one of the busiest diplomatic seasons in recent memory, unfolding amid ongoing crises such as the Gaza war, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and recent military tensions along the India-Pakistan border in May.

According to the official schedule, a special climate event will take place on September 24, while a high-level meeting marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is slated for September 26.