The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) opened on September 8, 2026, while the high-level general debate began on September 22, during which international leaders discussed this year’s theme: “Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all”.

Italy was represented by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, who attended the UNGA from September 21 to 24, following Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s decision to focus on domestic issues and delegate international engagements to the Foreign Minister.

Italy’s participation in the Assembly’s proceedings revolved around four main thematic areas: the Western Balkans and transatlantic cooperation, Africa and support for Ukraine, the Middle East, and international food security.

On the first front, on September 21, Tajani chaired the meeting of Foreign Ministers from the Western Balkans together with the “Friends of the Western Balkans’ Group”, as part of Italy’s commitment to the European integration process. The Minister also took part in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, an informal meeting of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council, and the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

On September 22, Tajani attended the opening ceremony of the General Assembly, while the Italian delegation’s engagements on September 23 focused primarily on Africa and support for Kyiv. In the first instance, Tajani co-chaired, alongside the Vice President of Nigeria, an event aimed at refinancing the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), during which the Minister highlighted the results achieved through the Mattei Plan. Regarding Kyiv, the Foreign Minister then addressed the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine, reiterating Italy’s condemnation of the Russian attacks and its support for the country.

The subject of the Middle East was addressed in two separate events on September 24: the Ministerial Meeting on the Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution, during which Tajani highlighted Italy’s commitment to the reconstruction of Gaza and its humanitarian support, and the second meeting of the “Rome Coalition,” co-chaired by the Minister with the aim of promoting food security and access to fertilizers, against the backdrop of growing instability in international shipping routes.

Of particular significance was Tajani’s address to the General Assembly, in which the Minister issued an appeal to the international community centered on several key issues. First, he highlighted the importance of international law and dialogue as drivers of peace, emphasizing the need to counter the notion that war is an inevitable condition. He then addressed the key geopolitical issues at the heart of the session: cooperation with Africa, support for Ukraine, Italy’s engagement in the Middle East, and the security of maritime routes as a tool for international peace.

A significant portion of the speech was devoted to artificial intelligence: Tajani acknowledged its transformative potential and utility in strategic sectors such as medicine and environmental protection, while also urging the international community to reflect on the associated risks, including the possible increase in inequality and the manipulation of information. Finally, the Minister reiterated Italy’s commitment to a universal moratorium on the death penalty and revisited the issue of reforming the UN Security Council, which is considered essential to making the organization more representative and better able to fulfill its role as a guarantor of international peace and cooperation.

Overall, the 81st session of the UNGA confirmed Italy’s determination to maintain an active role in key international policy issues, pursuing approaches that intertwine regional stability, multilateral cooperation, and emerging challenges such as those related to the governance of artificial intelligence.