Morocco has been selected to occupy the first seat at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is scheduled to open in New York in September 2026. The designation was made by UN Secretary-General António Guterres through a lottery draw conducted during a plenary session of the body, in accordance with longstanding UN practice.
The announcement was made by Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General, who confirmed at a press briefing that Morocco had been chosen to hold the first seat in the General Assembly chamber during the forthcoming session. The symbolic significance of the selection was warmly acknowledged by the UN Secretariat.
The plenary session also saw the election of the president of the 81st General Assembly: Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Member states additionally elected the countries designated to serve as vice-presidents of the session, a roster that includes the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Gabon.
The United Nations General Assembly is the principal deliberative body of the organization, bringing together all 193 member states on the basis of sovereign equality, with each state holding a single vote. It provides a multilateral forum for debate across the full range of issues addressed by the UN Charter, from international peace and security to development and human rights.
In addition to its legislative and deliberative functions, the General Assembly is responsible for the nomination of the Secretary-General — on the recommendation of the Security Council — the election of non-permanent members of the Security Council, and the approval of the United Nations budget. Morocco’s selection to occupy the first seat represents a mark of diplomatic recognition at the world’s foremost multilateral institution.
