Global Leaders Confront War, AI Risks, and Climate Crisis at UN Summit

WHO:

ABC News - Chinese President Xi Jinping is meeting Trump in Washington on Wednesday, sending a vice president to the U.N. gathering instead.

ABC News - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian President Narendra Modi are not attending the U.N. gathering.

Fast Company - Bill Gates announced a new coalition of 60 organizations, including Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI Foundation, aimed at making AI more accessible in underrepresented languages.

ABC News - Chinese AI startup DeepSeek will be among the companies briefing the United Nations Security Council on AI risks and international security during the UN General Assembly.

ABC News - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will address the assembly by video on Thursday, as he has been denied a visa to attend in person for the second consecutive year.

ABC News - Chinese President Xi Jinping is sending a vice president to the U.N. gathering instead of attending himself.

ABC News - U.S. President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are scheduled to speak on Tuesday after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ opening address.

ABC News - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will speak on Wednesday.

ABC News - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the assembly on Thursday.

ABC News - World leaders, including U.S. President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, are attending the U.N. General Assembly.

ABC News - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are also participating.

ABC News - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are mentioned, with Abbas addressing the assembly by video.

WHAT:

ABC News - The U.N. Security Council is holding a high-level meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday morning and a high-level meeting on artificial intelligence in the afternoon.

ABC News - The U.N. has warned that progress on its sustainable development goals is "slow and uneven."

Fast Company - The Gates Foundation committed $1 billion toward AI-focused efforts to improve health outcomes, upgrade educational tools, and inform small farmers' practices globally.

Fast Company - The coalition aims to reach more than 3 billion people over five years by better coordinating existing efforts to expand the number of languages available in AI tools.

ABC News - The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday morning and a high-level meeting on artificial intelligence in the afternoon.

ABC News - Approximately 130 heads of state and government are expected to speak at the General Assembly.

ABC News - The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday morning, in addition to the meeting on artificial intelligence in the afternoon.

ABC News - The U.N. has been described as "stuck in an open-ended or permanent crisis" by Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group’s global issues and institutions program director.

ABC News - The U.N. Security Council will hold a high-level meeting on artificial intelligence on Wednesday afternoon.

ABC News - Trump dismissed concerns about artificial intelligence as “a hoax” and urged continued advancements to maintain U.S. superiority over China.

ABC News - The U.N. General Assembly is focusing on wars in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo, and Myanmar.

ABC News - A wide-ranging reform package for the U.N. has been agreed upon by its 193 member nations.

ABC News - The U.S. paid $725 million of its dues to the U.N. to avoid losing its vote in the General Assembly.

ABC News - The U.N. Security Council added a high-level meeting on artificial intelligence to its agenda.

WHERE:

ABC News - The meeting is taking place at the United Nations in New York.

WHEN:

ABC News - The General Assembly sessions are scheduled to start on a Tuesday.

ABC News - Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ second five-year term ends on December 31.

ABC News - The General Assembly sessions are scheduled to start on a Tuesday.

WHY:

ABC News - France's U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, emphasized the critical need for world leaders to support the U.N. amid rising polarization, stating, "We believe in multilateralism."

Fast Company - Gates emphasized the need for "increased generosity" and "the smart use of AI" to combat global inequality, noting that 26 of the world's 34 wealthiest nations decreased development aid to poorer countries last year.

ABC News - France's U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, stated it is “extremely critical” for world leaders to support the U.N. as the place where the world’s nations meet, especially amid rising polarization.

ABC News - France's U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, emphasized the critical need for world leaders to support the U.N. as a platform for cooperation and dialogue amid rising polarization.

ABC News - The U.N. is seen as critical for international cooperation amid rising global tensions and crises, with calls for leaders to reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism.

ABC News - The gathering addresses global issues such as wars, climate change, and the risks associated with artificial intelligence.

ABC News - The U.N. is seen as critical for international cooperation amid rising global tensions and crises.

HOW:

Fast Company - The Gates Foundation's coalition aims to reach more than 3 billion people over five years by better coordinating existing efforts to expand the number of languages available in AI tools.

Fast Company - The coalition will work to gather cultural and linguistic data sets on communities' terms, addressing the issue of unrepresentative language data in AI tools.

ABC News - Hundreds of private meetings are expected to convene in U.N. cubicles, hotels, diplomatic missions, and restaurants during the assembly.

ABC News - Hundreds of private meetings are expected to take place in U.N. cubicles, hotels, diplomatic missions, and restaurants during the assembly.

ABC News - Hundreds of private meetings will convene in U.N. cubicles, hotels, diplomatic missions, and restaurants during the assembly.

ABC News - Leaders are expected to engage in discussions and private meetings to address pressing global issues.

(UPDATED September 22, 2026 20:57 UTC)

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet Trump in Washington on Wednesday, while sending a vice president to the U.N. gathering, where Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian President Narendra Modi will not be in attendance. The U.N. Security Council will hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine in the morning, followed by a session on artificial intelligence in the afternoon, as the organization warns that progress on its sustainable development goals remains slow and uneven. France's U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, highlighted the urgent need for global leaders to support the U.N. in these challenging times, emphasizing the importance of multilateralism.

(UPDATED September 22, 2026 16:58 UTC)

Bill Gates has announced a new coalition of 60 organizations, including Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI Foundation, aimed at making AI more accessible in underrepresented languages. The Gates Foundation is committing $1 billion to improve health outcomes, enhance educational tools, and support small farmers globally, with the goal of reaching over 3 billion people in five years by better coordinating existing efforts. Gates highlighted the importance of "increased generosity" and "the smart use of AI" to tackle global inequality, especially as many wealthy nations have reduced development aid to poorer countries.

(UPDATED September 22, 2026 13:03 UTC)

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek will brief the United Nations Security Council on the risks of artificial intelligence and international security during the ongoing UN General Assembly. The Security Council is set to hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine in the morning, followed by a session on artificial intelligence in the afternoon, with around 130 heads of state and government expected to address the assembly. France's U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, emphasized the importance of supporting the U.N. as a critical platform for global dialogue, especially in a time of increasing polarization, while numerous private meetings will take place across various venues during the event.

(UPDATED September 22, 2026 07:07 UTC)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will address the assembly by video on Thursday, as he has been denied a visa to attend in person for the second consecutive year, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is sending a vice president to the U.N. gathering instead of attending himself. The U.N. Security Council is set to hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday morning, along with a discussion on artificial intelligence in the afternoon, amid concerns that the U.N. is "stuck in an open-ended or permanent crisis," according to Richard Gowan from the International Crisis Group. France's U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, has stressed the urgent need for world leaders to support the U.N. as a vital platform for cooperation and dialogue, with hundreds of private meetings expected to occur in various venues during the assembly.

(UPDATED September 22, 2026 04:59 UTC)

U.S. President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to speak on Tuesday following Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ opening address, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the assembly on Wednesday. The U.N. Security Council will hold a high-level meeting on artificial intelligence that same Wednesday afternoon, where Trump has previously dismissed concerns about AI as “a hoax” and emphasized the need for advancements to maintain U.S. superiority over China. As the General Assembly sessions unfold, hundreds of private meetings will take place in various locations, highlighting the U.N.'s crucial role in fostering international cooperation amid rising global tensions.

(UPDATED September 22, 2026 03:59 UTC)

World leaders, including President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, are gathering at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where they will discuss pressing global issues such as wars in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo, and Myanmar. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are also in attendance, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is addressing the assembly via video. In a significant development, the U.N. has agreed on a wide-ranging reform package, and the U.S. has paid $725 million of its dues to avoid losing its vote in the General Assembly.