Jaishankar to push multipolarity, tough line on terror at UNGA

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to undertake a major diplomatic outreach on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York next week. He will also address the high-level General Debate of the 80th UNGA session on September 27.

Jaishankar is expected to engage in a series of bilateral, multilateral and plurilateral meetings, including a BRICS Foreign Ministers' meet that will formally launch India's BRICS presidency for 2026. Among his key bilaterals, he is likely to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with discussions focusing on trade negotiations and the Trump administration's recent decision to raise H-1B visa fees.

His UNGA address is expected to reflect India's position on global issues, emphasising the need for a multipolar world order and "zero tolerance" for terrorism, particularly in the wake of the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Jaishankar had also addressed the Assembly last year.


This year's UNGA session coincides with several thematic events, including a commemoration of the UN's 80th anniversary, a Climate Ambition Summit convened by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and a high-level meeting marking 30 years of the Beijing Declaration on women's rights.

Discussions are also planned on artificial intelligence governance, youth development, the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, and the Palestine question.

On Friday, India voted in favour of a resolution allowing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to virtually address the high-level UNGA session, after the US denied visas to Palestinian officials, preventing their in-person participation. The resolution, titled "Participation by the State of Palestine", was adopted by the 193-member General Assembly with 145 votes in favour, five against, and six abstentions.