Khalilur Rahman Elected UNGA President

By Norman Metanza

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected president of the 81st UN General Assembly, securing 99 votes in a close contest against Cyprus's Ambassador Andreas Kakouris. He will assume office in September for a one-year term, notably coinciding with the critical selection of the next UN Secretary-General.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman was elected president of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday, as reported by en.nhandan.vn.
According to Al Jazeera, Rahman secured 99 votes in a secret ballot, defeating Cyprus's Ambassador Andreas Kakouris in a closely contested race.
He is set to take office when the 81st UNGA session convenes in September for a one-year term, a detail also confirmed by China Daily.
UN News highlighted that his presidency will coincide with the selection of Secretary-General António Guterres's successor, whose term ends in December 2026.
Rahman brings over four decades of diplomatic and multilateral experience to the role, having served as Bangladesh's Foreign Minister since February and in senior UN positions, as noted by Pajhwok Afghan News.