The Kingdom of Morocco was selected on Tuesday in New York to occupy the first seat during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is scheduled to open in September 2026.
The selection was made through a draw conducted by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, in accordance with the traditional practice of the General Assembly. The draw determines the seating order of member states in the Assembly Hall for the upcoming session.
Speaking at a press briefing, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric welcomed Morocco’s selection to occupy the first seat during the next General Assembly session.
“The Secretary-General has just selected the country that will occupy the first seat in the General Assembly Hall during its next session. That country is Morocco,” Dujarric stated.
During the same plenary meeting, member states also elected Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister, Khalilur Rahman, as President of the 81st session of the General Assembly.
The Assembly further elected the countries that will serve as Vice-Presidents of the upcoming session. These include the United States, Afghanistan, China, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Egypt, and Gabon.
Bringing together all 193 UN member states, the United Nations General Assembly serves as the organization’s primary deliberative body and provides a global forum for discussing issues covered by the UN Charter. Each member state holds an equal vote.
The General Assembly also plays a key role in the governance of the United Nations, including appointing the Secretary-General upon the recommendation of the Security Council, electing non-permanent members of the Council, and approving the UN budget.
