Trump Opens the 81st UN Debate as Macron Returns to New York
President Trump addressed world leaders at the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York on 22 September 2026, as the general debate of the 81st session opened. New York Times
French President Emmanuel Macron is in New York from 21 to 23 September 2026 for the 81st session. Elysée The Elysée diary also lists New York travel for the Assembly, including Wednesday 23 September.
The United Nations has 193 member states. New York Times The general debate is the stretch when leaders take turns stating national positions. Like an annual roll call, it opened Tuesday 22 September, continues through Saturday 26 September, and ends Monday 28 September 2026. UN Web TV
Macron visited New York from 22 to 24 September 2025 for the 80th session. Elysée He addressed the 80th General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on 23 September 2025. France 24 The U.N. Audiovisual Library lists it as France - President Addresses General Debate, 80th Session. That debate opened Tuesday 23 September, continued through Saturday 27 September, and ended Monday 29 September. UN Transcripts
On the Palestinian question, Macron said he would formally recognize a Palestinian state as the Assembly convened. New York Times On 2 September 2025, he urged the United States to revise its decision not to grant visas to Palestinian officials. Reuters On 5 September 2025, the Assembly decided to resume the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement on 22 September during the 80th session. United Nations
On energy, Macron said on 18 September 2026 that the G7, a group of seven advanced economies, will meet in the coming weeks to discuss the energy crisis. Reuters During the 2025 Assembly, Macron was stuck in traffic and called Trump about his motorcade. New York Times
The broader context here involves overlapping tracks rather than a single set-piece speech. The 81st general debate, the resumed two-state conference formula from 2025, the visa access issue, and the planned G7 energy discussion each have different memberships and mandates. Each creates its own negotiating record.
Looking at what this means for delegations in New York this week, the test is sequencing. Statements in the general debate set out national positions. Follow-on conferences and G7 talks decide whether those positions gain working language on access, participation and energy coordination. The documents to watch are the debate transcripts, any conference outcome text, and G7 details once shared.
