Nearly 130 world leaders are gathering in New York for the United Nations General Assembly as wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, concerns over artificial intelligence and growing pressure on the international system dominate one of the world's largest annual diplomatic gatherings.

The 81st session brings presidents, prime ministers and senior government officials to the United Nations headquarters at a time of intensifying geopolitical tensions and questions about the organisation's ability to respond effectively to major international crises.

United States President Donald Trump will return to the UN rostrum as Washington's relationship with the organisation faces renewed scrutiny.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the gathering in New York and is instead expected to hold one on one talks with Trump in Washington on Thursday.

WARS DOMINATE DIPLOMATIC AGENDA

The widening conflicts in the Middle East are expected to dominate discussions throughout the week.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to speak on Thursday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not attend the gathering in person after the United States denied him a visa. The General Assembly has approved arrangements allowing him to address the meeting by video.

The continuing conflict in Sudan is also expected to receive attention, with diplomats anticipating a high level meeting on the crisis on the sidelines of the gathering.

UKRAINE WAR RETURNS TO CENTRE STAGE

Russia's continuing war in Ukraine will also feature prominently.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to address the General Assembly as Kyiv seeks continued international support.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent Moscow and is also expected to address world leaders.

The UN Security Council has struggled to take decisive action over the conflict because Russia is one of its five permanent members and holds veto power.

The war has also continued to affect international food and energy markets.

UN Secretary General António Guterres has highlighted the impact of restrictions in the Black Sea and called for conditions that would allow food, fertiliser and energy exports to move safely.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BECOMES GLOBAL DIPLOMATIC ISSUE

Artificial intelligence will be another major subject during the gathering.

Guterres has called for common international safeguards as increasingly powerful AI systems are developed.

Concerns have grown among governments, technology executives and researchers about the potential economic, security and societal consequences of advanced artificial intelligence.

The issue has also exposed disagreements between governments over how aggressively the technology should be regulated.

AI is now increasingly being treated not simply as a technology issue but as a matter of international security, economic competition and global governance.

TRUMP RETURNS TO UN ROSTRUM

Trump's appearance will be closely watched.

His administration has pushed for significant changes at the United Nations while reducing American financial support and withdrawing from several UN bodies.

The United States recently paid $725 million towards its regular UN budget obligations, avoiding the potential loss of its General Assembly vote.

Reuters reports that Washington nevertheless still owes the organisation more than $1 billion.

Trump's speech is therefore expected to come against a broader debate about America's relationship with multilateral institutions.

XI SKIPS NEW YORK FOR TRUMP TALKS

Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the General Assembly gathering.

Instead, Xi is expected to hold one on one talks with Trump in Washington on Thursday.

Their meeting comes as the United States and China negotiate over trade, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and other strategic disputes.

Xi last addressed the UN General Assembly by video in 2021.

His decision to prioritise direct talks with Trump is likely to attract attention as diplomats debate the effectiveness of multilateral institutions in resolving disputes between major powers.

UN FACES FINANCIAL AND LEADERSHIP PRESSURE

The gathering also comes at an important moment for the United Nations itself.

Secretary General António Guterres is approaching the end of his second term in 2026, beginning a politically significant process to determine who will lead the organisation next.

The UN is simultaneously facing financial pressure as member states delay or reduce contributions.

Questions over the organisation's ability to influence conflicts involving major powers have also intensified.

HIGH LEVEL WEEK BEGINS

The General Debate of the 81st session is scheduled to run from September 22 through September 28.

This year's theme is Restoring trust, managing transformation, a United Nations that delivers for all.

Beyond wars and artificial intelligence, leaders will participate in discussions covering climate action, development, pandemic preparedness, sea level rise and nuclear weapons.

With nearly 130 heads of state and government expected in person, New York will once again become the centre of international diplomacy.

But the gathering comes as wars, competition between major powers and rapid technological change test whether the international system can still produce collective responses to increasingly global challenges.