H.E. Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, was elected President of the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly on 2 June 2026. This is the statement he made to the Assembly immediately after his election, as issued.
In His Words
Passages quoted verbatim from the statement. The speech as issued is reproduced in full below.
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.
H.E. Dr. Khalilur Rahman
Acceptance speech, 2 June 2026
“I accept the position of the President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly with humility and respect.”
“I will be the President of all of you. I will engage all Member States in the course of my work.”
“I will seek common ground without ignoring differences.”
“I intend to work closely with member States on how we can prevent another lost decade of development and protect the vulnerable people in developing countries.”
“The question is not whether we will use these technologies, but how we will govern them wisely and fairly.”
“I will organize my office reflecting geographical, gender and linguistic balance.”
“I don’t consider the work of the President as a one-off event, but as a continuum.”