Bangladeshi foreign minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected president of the UN General Assembly for the 81st session after defeating Andreas Kakouris of Cyprus in a closely contested vote.

Mr Rahman secured the most votes in an election held at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

In a secret-ballot election, Mr Rahman secured 99 votes to Mr Kakouris’ 91. A total of 190 ballots were cast, with no invalid votes or abstentions.

The presidency rotates among the UN’s five regional groups, and the 81st session falls to the Asia-Pacific group. Rahman will serve a one-year term starting on September 8.

His presidency will coincide with one of the most consequential processes on the UN calendar: the selection of the successor to UN secretary-general António Guterres, whose term ends on December 31, 2026.

Mr Rahman brings more than four decades of diplomatic and multilateral experience to the role. Bangladesh’s foreign minister since February, he previously served as the national security adviser and as the high representative on the Rohingya issue.

A career diplomat, he joined Bangladesh’s foreign service in 1979. He also held senior UN positions in New York and Geneva.

Accepting the position, Mr Rahman said he was taking on the role “with humility and respect” at a moment when confidence in the international system was under strain.

“The UN will commence its ninth decade at a time when trust in our organisation is being tested on multiple fronts,” he told member states. “Taken together, these challenges tend to undermine the public trust and confidence in the ability of our organisation to deliver its promises.”

The election comes amid what the current UNGA president, Annalena Baerbock, described as an exceptionally difficult period for multilateral diplomacy. Addressing member states after the vote, Baerbock said the UN was facing “not only headwinds, but immense pressure,” with consensus increasingly difficult to achieve and defence of the UN Charter  becoming “a daily necessity”.

“The role of the president of the UNGA is no longer simply procedural,” she said.

She warned that the international environment was unlikely to become easier during the coming year, as the assembly continues work on implementing the Pact for the Future, advancing reform efforts through the UN80 initiative, and navigating broader geopolitical divisions.

Mr Rahman said his presidency would focus on six broad priorities: peace and security; accelerating progress on the SDGs; climate action and environmental protection; human rights; governance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and UN reform.

Drawing on Bangladesh’s experience in peacekeeping, he pledged to support preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding, and civilian protection.

He also highlighted the need to address development financing gaps, advance implementation of the Global Digital Compact, and strengthen the UN’s effectiveness amid growing pressure on multilateral institutions.

“As your president, I will dedicate myself to rebuilding trust, nurturing consensus, and opening space for good faith negotiations that will lead to outcomes for all that are owned by all,” he said.

He also pledged to uphold the UN Charter, maintain geographical and gender balance within his office, and support the needs of smaller delegations.

The General Assembly is the UN’s most representative body, bringing together all 193 member states, each with one vote.

While its resolutions are generally not legally binding, the assembly serves as the principal forum for international deliberation on peace and security, development, human rights and international law.

The 81st session will open on September 8, with world leaders gathering two weeks later for the annual high-level debate at UN Headquarters in New York.

(NAN)