Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh elected president of the 81st UN General Assembly session

On June 2, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly held a vote to elect the president of its 81st session. The candidates for the position were Andreas Kakouris, representing the Republic of Cyprus, and Khalilur Rahman, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. Following the withdrawal of the Palestinian candidacy, the contest remained between these two candidates. The voting took place at the UN headquarters in New York. According to the final results, Khalilur Rahman received 99 votes, while Andreas Kakouris received 91 votes. A total of 190 member states participated in the vote, with a required majority of 96 votes for election. The presidency of this session was allocated to the Asia-Pacific Group under the regional rotation system. The incoming session is considered critical due to the upcoming selection process for a new UN Secretary-General and the implementation of the Pact for the Future.