UN General Assembly 2026 continues Friday — Full speaker schedule & NYC street closures
Netanyahu slams NYC Mayor Mamdani, 100+ protesters arrested outside UN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called out NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a fiery address at the U.N. General Assembly as massive anti-war protests erupted outside.
NEW YORK - The United Nations General Assembly continues Friday in New York, bringing another day of high-level meetings between world leaders and traffic gridlock in Manhattan.
Here's what to know about the UNGA today.
NYC Gridlock Alert: Friday street closures & traffic advisories
Local perspective:
The NYC Department of Transportation declared a Gridlock Alert Day for every day this week due to the UN General Assembly. Street closures are in effect on Manhattan's East Side through Saturday, September 26. They are primarily active while the UNGA is in session, typically until about 9 p.m. each day.
NYC prepares massive security operation for UN General Assembly in Manhattan
New York City officials have launched a massive joint security operation ahead of the 81st UN General Assembly, locking down parts of Manhattan to protect nearly 200 visiting world dignitaries. Despite no specific credible threats, authorities maintain heightened security amid global tensions and high-profile arrivals.
Key street closures include:
- First Avenue: Closed from 41st Street to 48th Street.
- 44th through 47th Streets: Closed between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
- 42nd Street: Closed between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
- FDR Drive: The 42nd Street exit off the FDR Drive will be completely blocked.
NYPD may close additional side streets at their discretion throughout the day.
Featured
NYC Gridlock Alert: Street closures, heavy security for UN General Assembly
Expect major NYC road closures and severe traffic gridlock as security ramps up for the UN General Assembly this week. Get full street closure details and Midtown travel advice.
UN week traffic in NYC
Additional street closures may occur at any time across Manhattan as motorcades and foreign dignitaries move throughout the city. Commuters are strongly urged to take mass transit and avoid driving, if possible.
UN General Assembly Friday speaker schedule
Here is the full list of world leaders scheduled to address the UNGA on Friday, Sept. 25:
Morning session
- Kiribati – President Taneti Maamau
- Maldives – Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef
- Iraq – Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi
- Lebanon – President of the Council of Ministers Nawaf Salam
- Monaco – Minister of State Christophe Mirmand
- Marshall Islands – President Hilda Heine
- Malta – Prime Minister Robert Abela
- Lesotho – Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane
- Tuvalu – Prime Minister Feleti Teo
- North Macedonia – President of the Government Hristijan Mickoski
- Solomon Islands – Prime Minister Mathew Cooper Wale
- Saint Lucia – Prime Minister Philip Pierre
- Albania – Prime Minister Edi Rama
- Pakistan – Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif
- Papua New Guinea – Prime Minister James Marape
- Niger – Prime Minister of the Transition Government Lamine Zeine Ali Mahaman
- Bahamas – Prime Minister Philip Edward Davis
- Haiti – Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé
Afternoon session
- Guinea-Bissau – Prime Minister Ilídio Vieira Té
- Egypt – Prime Minister Moustafa Kamal Madbouly
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Prime Minister Godwin Friday
- Tonga – Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua
- Samoa – Deputy Prime Minister Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioo
- Saint Kitts and Nevis – Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey Hanley
- Bahrain – Minister for Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani
- Azerbaijan – Minister for Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Aziz oglu Bayramov
- Kazakhstan – Minister for Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tileuberdi
- Mauritania – Minister for Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad Mohamed Salem Merzoug
- Mexico – Minister for Foreign Affairs Roberto Velasco Álvarez
- Mauritius – Minister for Foreign Affairs Dhananjay Ramful
- Chad – Minister of Public Health and Prevention Abdelmadjid Abdelrahim Mahamat
- Norway – Minister for Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide
- Guatemala – Minister for Foreign Affairs Carlos Ramiro Martínez Alvarado
- Sweden – Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard
- Togo – Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and Togolese Abroad Robert Komlan Edo Dussey
The Source: This article is based on the United Nations General Debate schedule for Friday, Sept. 25 and street closures provided by the NYC Department of Transportation.