Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected as the President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Bangladesh last held the presidency in the 41st session in 1986-87, with its then Foreign Minister Humayun Rasheed Chowdhury.
Rahman received 99 out of 190 votes on Tuesday against the 91 votes for Andreas S Kakouris, who is the special envoy of Cyprus’ Foreign Minister for Multilateralism.
Rahman will have a tenure of one year, effective in September when the 81st UNGA session begins. According to Bangladesh media, he is likely to take a year-long leave as Foreign Minister to serve the role. Rahman took office as Dhaka’s Foreign Minister in February this year.
The United Nations’ regional rotation system allocated the presidency for the 81st session to ther Asia-Pacific Group. The session is scheduled to commence on 8 September, with the annual high-level General Debate starting on 22 September.
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar congratulated Rahman on X.
“Congratulations to FM Dr. Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh on his election as President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. @UN_PGA. Look forward to working closely with him to advance our shared priorities and strengthen multilateral cooperation,” he wrote.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also posted on X with a congratulatory message, “Many congratulations to our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Khalilur Rahman, on his election as the President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.”
“This achievement reflects Bangladesh’s increasing contribution and credibility on the global stage. We believe he will proudly represent Bangladesh and forge connectivity, dialogue, and cooperation in addressing multilateral, shared challenges. We wish him every success in this new responsibility,” he added.
Germany’s former Foreign Minister and current UNGA President Annalena Baerbock took to the office’s X handle to express her regards.
“Congratulations to H.E. Mr. Khalilur Rahman on his election as President of the General Assembly at its 81st session! At a time when the UN is facing immense pressure, the role of the PGA is no longer simply procedural. I wish the PGA-elect nothing but success in guiding the work of all 193 Member States and defending the UN and its Charter during a particularly consequential 81st session,” wrote Baerbock.
In his acceptance speech on Tuesday, Rahman vowed to pursue “a holistic approach to peacekeeping and peacebuilding that prioritises prevention and political solutions, strengthens peacebuilding, and protects civilians”.
“I will support dialogue to make even peacekeeping more fit for purpose and advocate for greater representation of women in peacekeeping,” he added.
