Published: June 3, 2026 • 10:14 PM IST · Updated: June 4, 2026 • 12:14 AM ISTBy TheBriefWire Editorial Team
Key points
Khalilur Rahman elected as the president of the UNGA’s 81st session, garnering 99 votes in secret ballot.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly after defeating Cyprus’s Ambassador Andreas Kakouris in a closely contested vote, taking the helm of the world’s most representative diplomatic body at a time of mounting pressure on the multilateral system.
In the secret ballot held on Tuesday, Rahman secured 99 votes, eight more compared with his competitor Kakouris.
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.