UN General Assembly: Which World Leaders Are Skipping UNGA And Why

Few world leaders would miss a stage like the United Nations General Assembly. Donald Trump, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Emmanuel Macron are among those in New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly — or UNGA81 for short — where the speeches from the green marble lectern make headlines around the globe.

That makes the no-shows all the more surprising. Here is a look at some of the leaders staying away — and why.

Germany: Friedrich Merz

The German chancellor, in his second year in office, would like to be much more present on the international stage and has described himself as a “foreign-policy chancellor.” But domestic politics have been keeping him busy. Three German states held parliamentary elections in September and Friedrich Merz is under more pressure as chancellor and leader of the Christian Democrats (CDU) than ever before. In Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin, the CDU was firmly voted out of office, while in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern it failed to enter the state parliament at all — a first since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Merz is in crisis-management mode at home and seems to want to prevent his opponents from planning a revolt in his absence. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will speak in his place.

Italy: Giorgia Meloni

Italy’s prime minister is in a considerably stronger position than Merz but has said she needs to deal with domestic matters this week. After the NATO summit in early July, Giorgia Meloni said she had just returned from several international summits and had to tackle various issues, including some pending within Italy. She pointed out that Merz had also been absent in 2025 – she too is sending her foreign minister, Antonio Tajani.

South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa

The South African president has also just attended an international summit — the BRICS summit in India. He said he would not attend the UN General Assembly for health reasons: medics advised him to take time to rest and recover. His office did not disclose details about his condition. South Africa will also be represented at the UN lectern by Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola.

Egypt: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

Along with Africa’s largest economy, the second- and third-largest economies on the continent are also not sending their presidents to New York: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is being represented by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. Al-Sisi’s office did not give a reason for his absence. During his first years in office, from 2014 onward, he regularly attended the UN General Assembly. In 2020, the event was held online because of the coronavirus pandemic and the following year it was a hybrid event, to which al-Sisi sent a pre-recorded video message. He has not attended since the General Assembly returned to in-person meetings.

Nigeria: Bola Tinubu

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu is the third influential African leader to miss this year’s UN General Assembly. His spokesman was quoted by Nigerian media as saying the West African country would be “fully and effectively represented” by Vice President Kashim Shettima. Tinubu, meanwhile, is on vacation: He spent time in the UK in late August before traveling to France.

India: Narendra Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is relatively rarely to be seen at UN General Assemblies. He last took the podium in 2021, since when the world’s largest democracy has consistently sent Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar instead. According to Indian media outlets, Modi was reportedly listed as a speaker at this year’s gathering before his plans changed. Why he decided not to attend is not known.

China: Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s absence is under international scrutiny this year. As this year’s “High-Level Week” takes place, Xi will also be in the US but he will not be going to New York. Instead, he will head straight for Washington, some 300 kilometers away, for a full state visit, including a White House gala dinner and a military parade.

Although Beijing has not framed it this way, the timing suggests that Xi is prioritizing great power diplomacy over the United Nations’ multilateral forum. Xi and Trump have serious bones of contention, including over trade relations, artificial intelligence and Taiwan’s security situation.

Russia: Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also rarely stood at the iconic podium so it comes as little surprise that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will once again speak for Russia this year. Putin ordered this by decree — and didn’t offer a reason for his absence.

Palestinian territories: Mahmoud Abbas

Mahmoud Abbashas clocked up far more UNGA experience than any of those listed above. The president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), who has been in office since 2005, was a regular until Donald Trump’s second term.

But last year, the Trump administration denied him a diplomatic visa and has done so again this year.

Yet, under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, the United States is committed to facilitating access to UN headquarters for foreign representatives. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, for example, is still due to speak in New York, despite the US having recently bombed Iran.

In the case of the Palestinians, the US State Department recently said it was extending sanctions “that deny visas to members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority.” Abbas plans to address the assembled heads of state and government by video message, as he did last year.

This article was originally published in German.

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