Bangladesh’s top diplomat elected UN General Assembly leader in tight race
Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected as the president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. He won the position in a close vote against Cyprus's Ambassador Andreas Kakouris, securing 99 votes. Rahman's term will begin on September 8 and will coincide with the selection process for the next UN Secretary-General.
- ▪Khalilur Rahman received 99 votes in the secret ballot, defeating his competitor by eight votes.
- ▪A total of 190 ballots were cast with no invalid votes or abstentions.
- ▪Rahman will serve a one-year term starting on September 8, 2026.
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News|United NationsBangladesh’s top diplomat elected UN General Assembly leader in tight raceKhalilur Rahman elected as the president of the UNGA’s 81st session, garnering 99 votes in secret ballot.ListenListen (3 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoBangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, the newly-elected president of the United Nations General Assembly, addresses a plenary meeting of body at UN headquarters [Eskinder Debebe/AP]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 3 Jun 20263 Jun 2026Bangladesh’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,…
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