Bangladesh’s Rahman elected president of UN General Assembly

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, securing a victory over Cyprus's Andreas Kakouris. The closely contested secret-ballot election saw Rahman garner 99 votes to Kakouris's 91, with 190 ballots cast and no invalid votes or abstentions.

The presidency of the General Assembly rotates among the UN's five regional groups, with the Asia-Pacific group holding the post for this 81st session. Rahman is set to assume office on September 8, commencing a one-year term. His tenure will overlap with a critical UN process: the selection of a successor to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term concludes on December 31, 2026.

Rahman brings a wealth of experience, spanning over four decades in diplomacy and multilateral affairs, to the role. He has served as Bangladesh's foreign minister since February and previously held significant positions, including national security adviser and high representative on the Rohingya issue. A career diplomat, Rahman joined Bangladesh's foreign service in 1979 and has also occupied senior roles within the United Nations in both New York and Geneva.