What did President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa of Mongolia say at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81)?
Mongolia’s President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa announced that Mongolia will run for a seat on the Security Council in 2048 and 2049, warned that more than 90 armed conflicts are under way while military spending hits records, and asked for the money to go to poverty, hunger and climate instead.
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He addressed the general debate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as the first speaker of the afternoon session.
The speech in brief
- A Council bid. Mongolia is one of 58 UN members that have never sat on the Security Council.
- War and spending. More than 90 armed conflicts continue, over 30 of them international, while world military spending has passed $2.9 trillion.
- Climate. He highlighted Mongolia hosting the UN desertification conference (COP17) in August and its “Billion Trees” campaign.
- Peacekeepers. Mongolia has sent more than 23,000 soldiers and police to UN missions since 2002.
In his own words
He spoke in Mongolian. The English is our translation of Mongolian press reports.
Mongolia officially announces that it is putting itself forward for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2048 and 2049.
Worth knowing
- 2026 marks 65 years since Mongolia joined the UN as its 101st member.
- Full coverage of this speech is limited, and no full text had been published when this page was written.
Watch and read the full speech
The UN’s own video of the whole Day 1 session:
Watch Day 1 of the UNGA 81 general debate on the UN’s YouTube channel
UN Web TVWatch Day 1 of the general debate on UN Web TV
The UN posts the statement on its general debate website.
Every Day 1 speaker, in order: What happened on Day 1 of UNGA 81.
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