# Inside the 2026 UN General Assembly week

> Trump returns to UNGA with budget cuts, a new secretary-general race heats up, and AI governance hangs in the balance.
- Title: Inside the 2026 UN General Assembly week · Foreign Policy
- Summary: Trump returns to UNGA with budget cuts, a new secretary-general race heats up, and AI governance hangs in the balance. The UN faces its first leadership…
- Keywords: united nations general assembly, unga 2026, donald trump, un secretary-general race, artificial intelligence governance, us-china relations, xi jinping, antonio guterres, rebeca grynspan, un budget, digital cooperation, Inside
- Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/21/unga-trump-iran-xi-china-ai-secretary-general
- Author: Rishi Iyengar, John Haltiwanger
- Published: 2026-09-23T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 3 min
- Topics: united nations general assembly, unga 2026, donald trump, un secretary-general race, artificial intelligence governance, us-china relations, xi jinping, antonio guterres, rebeca grynspan, un budget, digital cooperation
## Trump returns to UNGA stage
President Trump addresses the UN General Assembly on Tuesday after using last year's platform to criticize the institution. He'll meet with leaders from the UK, Japan, Venezuela, and Arab Gulf states.
## US pays $800 million in UN dues
The Trump administration paid over $800 million in pending US contributions to the UN, though Washington still owes more than $3 billion across regular budget and peacekeeping functions.
## Trump puts UN on a diet
The administration has withdrawn from several UN programs, cut budget contributions, and pushed the institution to shrink its annual budget for the first time in its 80-year history. Officials call it getting the UN "leaner and back to basics."

> "We call it having the U.N. on a diet, getting it back focused, leaner, and back to basics focused on peace and security."
## MUNGA rebranding effort
US Ambassador Mike Waltz says the administration has rebranded the UN as MUNGA, or Make the UN Great Again, signaling a Trump-style approach to institutional reform.
## Secretary-general race narrows
Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet withdrew from the race over the weekend, leaving seven candidates. Costa Rican diplomat Rebeca Grynspan emerged as the front-runner to become the first woman UN secretary-general.
## Guterres steps down after decade
UN Secretary-General António Guterres will leave office at the end of 2026 after leading the institution since 2017, triggering the organization's first leadership change in a decade.
## AI fears dominate UNGA agenda
Artificial intelligence has become one of the UN's most pressing issues, with executives from leading AI companies calling for a pause on advanced development and a global governance framework.
## Guterres calls for AI cooperation
UN Secretary-General Guterres dedicated his final pre-UNGA press conference to AI, calling for "genuine international cooperation and a coordinated global effort" on the technology.

> "I am aware of the geopolitical divides and the temptations they might generate. But the world cannot afford a race to the bottom on AI safety."
## US-China AI dialogue on agenda
Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday after spending two days at UNGA. AI is expected to be high on the agenda, with both sides discussing a new US-China AI dialogue.
## Two powers can set the tone
UN envoy Amandeep Singh Gill says the US and China "can set the tone for the rest of the world" on AI, but other nations shouldn't wait for them to act. 191 UN member states are investing in AI independently.

> "This doesn't mean that the rest of the world has to wait for the U.S and China to do something."
## Joseph Gordon-Levitt at UNGA
Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, appointed as UN global advocate for human-centric digital governance in March, spoke at Digital Cooperation Day about ensuring technology serves people.

> "Digital technology should be governed by people and for people."
## Tuesday's speaker lineup
Over a dozen world leaders address UNGA on Tuesday starting at 9 a.m. ET, including Trump, Brazil's Lula, France's Macron, Turkey's Erdogan, and leaders from Jordan, Qatar, Lithuania, Peru, Chile, Finland, and Angola.
## UN favorability varies widely
A Pew Research survey of 37 countries shows more than half view the UN favorably, with highest support in Sweden, Indonesia, and Kenya. Israel has the lowest favorability at nearly 80 percent unfavorable.
## FP hosting UNGA events
Foreign Policy is hosting an Energy Forum on Tuesday with European Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra and a Tech and AI Forum featuring Singapore's Digital Minister and executives from TikTok and Zoom.
## Key takeaway

The UN faces its first leadership transition in a decade while the Trump administration pushes for a leaner institution, and the US-China relationship will shape global AI policy.