The day at the UN — The Floor Brief

General Assembly plenary

General Assembly plenary, meeting 24

MorningDigest

General Assembly, 24th meeting of the 81st session. Agenda items taken up: “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency - Item 91: note by the Secretary-General (A/81/325) and draft resolution (A/81/L.7)”; “Debate on the item and action on the draft resolution”. 36 speakers were heard, representing 35 delegations.

Points of disagreement

Norway stated that what it called Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and its military presence at the Saporidja nuclear power plant create grave risks to nuclear safety and security, and that Russia must withdraw its forces and return the plant to full Ukrainian control.▶ 1:43:46
France called for Russia to end its occupation of the Zaporizhia site, which it described as illegally occupied for more than four years, and to return effective control to Ukraine.▶ 2:06:51

First Committee

First Committee, meeting 19

MorningDigest

First Committee, 19th meeting of the 81st session. Agenda items taken up: “Thematic discussion on specific subjects and introduction and consideration of all draft resolutions and decisions submitted under agenda items (from 92 to 109)”; “A/C.1/81/L.1, A/C.1/81/L.2, A/C.1/81/L.3, A/C.1/81/L.4, A/C.1/81/L.7, A/C.1/81/L.10, A/C.1/81/L.11, A/C.1/81/L.12, A/C.1/81/L.13, A/C.1/81/L.14, A/C.1/81/L.17, A/C.1/81/L.30, A/C.1/81/L.31, A/C.1/81/L.34, A/C.1/81/L.36, A/C.1/81/L.38, A/C.1/81/L.40 A/C.1/81/L.41, A/C.1/81/L.44, A/C.1/81/L.46, A/C.1/81/L.49, A/C.1/81/L.51, A/C.1/81/L.52, A/C.1/81/L.54, A/C.1/81/L.55, A/C.1/81/L.57, A/C.1/81/L.58, A/C.1/81/L.59, A/C.1/81/L.64, A/C.1/81/L.65, A/C.1/81/L.68, A/C.1/81/L.70”. 46 speakers were heard, representing 45 delegations.

Points of disagreement

Bahrain recalled that the Security Council, through resolution 2817, condemned Iranian attacks against Bahrain and other states in the region, and said these attacks must cease and resolutions must be complied with.▶ 2:01:07

Third Committee

Third Committee, meeting 26

MorningDigest

Third Committee, 26th meeting of the 81st session. Agenda item taken up: “Promotion and protection of human rights, Implementation of human rights instruments, Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives, Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action - Items 70, 70 (a), 70 (b), 70 (c), 70 (d) (A/81/303, A/81/270, A/81/265, A/81/302)”. 54 speakers were heard, representing 51 delegations.

Partly attributed: 36% of speech unattributed

Points of disagreement

Rwanda rejected the report's assertion that Ronda justified alleged support for the military activities of M23 on the basis of protecting minority communities, calling the characterization in paragraph 44 inaccurate and not reflecting Ronda's stated position.▶ 2:30:23

Sixth Committee

Sixth Committee, meeting 27

AfternoonDigest

Sixth Committee, 27th meeting of the 81st session. Agenda item taken up: “Report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization - Item 83 (A/81/33, A/81/206)”. 9 speakers were heard, representing 9 delegations. Rights of reply were exercised 13 times.

General Assembly plenary, meeting 25

AfternoonDigest

General Assembly, 25th meeting of the 81st session. Agenda items taken up: “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency - Item 91: Note by the Secretary-General (A/81/325) and draft resolution (A/81/L.7)”; “Debate on the item and action on the draft resolution”. 16 speakers were heard, representing 16 delegations. Rights of reply were exercised 9 times. The Chair announced: “A separate recorded vote has been requested on operative paragraph 1 of the draft resolution.”; “Those in favor of operative paragraph 1, please signify those against abstentions.”

Rights of reply · 9

Russian FederationFIRST REPLY · in response to Ukraine
- “Madam President, um, we note with regret that a number of delegations today decided to impede the deliberations of the General Assembly by trying to politicize the discussion by mentioning extraneous topics that have nothing to do with the issue on the agenda. Russia is categorically opposed to this approach. We see no…”▶ 1:35:51
Democratic People's Republic of KoreaFIRST REPLY
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea categorically rejected what it called groundless and illogical allegations made by certain delegations that, in its words, denied its sovereign and legitimate right during the general debate.▶ 1:38:00
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea stated that it had enshrined the position of nuclear weapons in its national law, that its nuclear deterrent safeguards sovereignty, regional stability and world peace, and that it withdrew from the NPD long ago and is not a member of the IAEA.▶ 1:38:00
AustraliaFIRST REPLY · in response to United Kingdom, United States
- Australia stated that Australia's Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme is proceeding in full compliance with AUKUS partners' respective international obligations, including under the NPT, Australia's Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, and Additional Protocol.▶ 1:41:54
- Australia stated that Australia's Article 14 arrangement will not remove nuclear material from IAEA oversight, and that the programme will be subject to a robust package of safeguards and verification measures.▶ 1:41:54
BelarusFIRST REPLY
- Belarus stated that Belarus had, in cooperation with the IAEA and other foreign partners, taken all necessary measures to ensure the safety of its nuclear power plant, and that it called allegations that the plant is unsafe far fetched and unfounded.▶ 1:45:40
- Belarus called for parties not to politicize issues of nuclear safety and to use existing international forums for substantive discussion of any well founded concerns.▶ 1:45:40
UkraineFIRST REPLY · in response to Russian Federation
- Ukraine rejected what it called misleading and unfounded allegations by the Russian Federation, and said that Russia's "sham referendums" and subsequent acts aimed at formalizing its attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories were what was truly null and void, citing resolution ES 11 4 adopted with the support of 143 member states.▶ 1:48:51
- Ukraine stated that the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is and will remain a Ukrainian nuclear facility, and that Russia's military presence and activities in and around it created unacceptable risks to nuclear safety and security.▶ 1:48:51
IsraelFIRST REPLY · in response to Islamic Republic of Iran
- Israel stated that the IEA Board of Governors had repeatedly found Iran in non-compliance with its safeguards obligations and in September decided to report this to the Security Council.▶ 1:51:22
- Israel said that over nine tons of nuclear material, including 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, had been outside agency safeguards for more than a year, with no information or access provided by Iran.▶ 1:51:22
ChinaFIRST REPLY · in response to Australia
- China stated that AUKUS will transfer metric tons of weapon grade highly enriched uranium, which goes beyond the scope of the NPT, will cross the threshold of nuclear proliferation, and poses a serious challenge to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and to international and regional strategic security and stability.▶ 1:53:24
LithuaniaFIRST REPLY · in response to Belarus
- Lithuania stated that Belarus cannot present the conclusions of missions with defined scopes as comprehensive certification of the plant's safety, and called on Belarus to provide verifiable information and address the concerns on their merits.▶ 1:55:58
Islamic Republic of IranFIRST REPLY
- “My delegation categorically rejects and condemns baseless and absurd allegations by the representative of the Israeli regime against Iran's peaceful nuclear program. The Israeli regime is the last entity on earth entitled to lecture Iran or anyone else. A regime responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of Pales…”▶ 1:59:17

Actions taken

The Chair announced: “A separate recorded vote has been requested on operative paragraph 1 of the draft resolution.”▶ 1:30:37
The Chair announced: “Those in favor of operative paragraph 1, please signify those against abstentions.”▶ 1:30:37
The Chair announced: “A recorded vote has been requested on the draft resolution as a whole.”▶ 1:30:37

Points of disagreement

Japan expressed concern over increasing military cooperation between Russia and DPRK, which it said violates UNSC resolutions, and about the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine, including Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.▶ 24:39
Lithuania expressed concern about Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine and attacks on Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure, and called for the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant to be returned to the full sovereign control of Ukraine.▶ 44:45

Key points

Russian Federation stated that the Russian Federation fully supports the technical mandate of the IAA enshrined in its statute, but that the Agency's activities, at the prompting of a group of Western states, were increasingly going beyond the scope of its statute.▶ 34:29
Thailand stated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked or treated under any circumstances, and expressed deep concern at ongoing armed conflicts that pose risks to nuclear facilities, noting such actions pose catastrophic risks to human life, civil infrastructure, and the environment.▶ 40:15
Islamic Republic of Iran stressed that the agency's reporting must remain professional, objective, factual and free from political influence, and that Article 4 of the NPT affirms the inalienable right of all states parties to peaceful nuclear energy, which it said certain states demonize and weaponize proliferation concerns against.▶ 58:19

Full digest, statement by statement →UN Web TV ↗

First Committee, meeting 20

AfternoonDigest

First Committee, 20th meeting of the 81st session. Agenda items taken up: “Thematic discussion on specific subjects and introduction and consideration of all draft resolutions and decisions submitted under agenda items (from 92 to 109)”; “A/C.1/81/L.1, A/C.1/81/L.2, A/C.1/81/L.3, A/C.1/81/L.4, A/C.1/81/L.7, A/C.1/81/L.10, A/C.1/81/L.11, A/C.1/81/L.12, A/C.1/81/L.13, A/C.1/81/L.14, A/C.1/81/L.17, A/C.1/81/L.30, A/C.1/81/L.31, A/C.1/81/L.34, A/C.1/81/L.36, A/C.1/81/L.38, A/C.1/81/L.40 A/C.1/81/L.41, A/C.1/81/L.44, A/C.1/81/L.46, A/C.1/81/L.49, A/C.1/81/L.51, A/C.1/81/L.52, A/C.1/81/L.54, A/C.1/81/L.55, A/C.1/81/L.57, A/C.1/81/L.58, A/C.1/81/L.59, A/C.1/81/L.64, A/C.1/81/L.65, A/C.1/81/L.68, A/C.1/81/L.70”. 30 speakers were heard, representing 29 delegations. Rights of reply were exercised 12 times.

Rights of reply · 12

UkraineFIRST REPLY · in response to Russian Federation
- Ukraine stated that Russia's war of aggression extends to cyberspace, and recalled the 2015 attack on Ukraine's power grid and the 2017 Notpetya attack, adding that CERT UA handled more than 3,100 cyber incidents in the first half of 2026.▶ 2:40:28
Islamic Republic of IranFIRST REPLY
- “Thank you, Mr. Chair. My delegation is compelled to talk to take the floor in exercise of its right of reply in response to the unfounded and absurd allegations made by the representative of the Israeli regime. We categorically reject this baseless and politically motivated accusation. Instead of engaging in unfounded …”▶ 2:43:26
Russian FederationSECOND REPLY
- Russian Federation rejected what it called baseless attacks and the presentation of Russia as an aggressor in the digital realm, stating that Russian information structures have faced attacks since 2022 originating primarily from what it called the Zelensky regime.▶ 2:30:47
UkraineSECOND REPLY · in response to Islamic Republic of Iran
- Ukraine expressed concern over what it called Russian armed attacks on and seizure of nuclear facilities, citing the Chernobyl site occupation, the assault on the Zaporizh nuclear power plant, and drone strikes on 14 February 2025 and 7 june 2026.▶ 2:53:41
- Ukraine called for Russia to withdraw its forces from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, return it to Ukraine's full control, and end its war of aggression against Ukraine.▶ 2:53:41
IsraelFIRST REPLY
- “Chair. Once again, Iran has chosen to exploit this distinguished form to distort the facts. evade responsibility, and portray itself as a victim of the very threat it continues to generate. Iran's claims regarding the alleged peaceful nature of its nuclear program cannot be reconciled with its long standing record of c…”▶ 2:57:01
FinlandFIRST REPLY · in response to Russian Federation
- Finland firmly rejected the Russian Federation's attempt to portray Finland's and Sweden's NATO membership and NATO's defensive activities as threats to its security or as justification for its withdrawal from the CFE treaty.▶ 3:01:14
- Finland stated that Russia ceased implementing the treaty in 2007, before Finland and Sweden joined NATO, and that Finland's decision to join NATO was sovereign, democratic and not directed against anyone.▶ 3:01:14
SwedenFIRST REPLY · in response to Russian Federation, Finland
- Sweden rejected the assertion that the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO altered any security in Europe.▶ 3:02:48
- Sweden underscored that it was only after what it called Russia's aggression against Ukraine that Sweden concluded it was necessary to end more than 200 years of military non-alignment and seek NATO membership, a sovereign decision.▶ 3:02:48
Republic of KoreaFIRST REPLY · in response to Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- Republic of Korea stated that the ROK US combined defense and deterrence posture, including combined training exercises, was a legitimate and defensive response to the DPRK's growing military threats and its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which it said violated Security Council resolutions.▶ 3:04:03
- Republic of Korea called for the DPRK to comply with its obligations and abandon its nuclear weapons and program, and emphasized the need to resolve the Korea Peninsula issue comprehensively through dialogue.▶ 3:04:03
Democratic People's Republic of KoreaFIRST REPLY · in response to United States
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea rejected what it called groundless claims by Estonia and the EU delegate on cooperation between the DPRK and the Russian Federation, stating that DPRK participation in the Kursk liberation operation fell within its sovereign rights and the UN Charter.▶ 3:06:03
Russian FederationSECOND REPLY · in response to Ukraine
- Russian Federation said that Ukraine's Zaporizhia strikes, including on 4 October, create the threat of a nuclear incident, and called this what it termed the terrorist nature of the Kiev regime.▶ 3:09:24
IsraelSECOND REPLY
- Israel stated Israel will not participate in processes that bypass established UN practices, are ill motivated, and are detached from the current reality in the Middle East.▶ 3:11:18
UkraineSECOND REPLY · in response to Russian Federation
- “Uh Chair, the delegation of Ukraine is compelled to exercise again its right of reply. In response to the statement just made by the delegation of the Russian Federation, Ukraine has repeatedly raised the issue of nuclear safety and security, including earlier today during the General Assembly's consideration of the re…”▶ 3:12:14

Points of disagreement

Estonia stated that Russia continues to severely undermine the rule of law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling its war against Ukraine an illegal and unprovoked war of aggression and a direct violation of the UN Charter.▶ 1:25:41

Key points

Islamic Republic of Iran, on behalf of group of countries, underlined the importance of full and effective realization of the objectives of the IAEA and reaffirmed the inalienable rights of all states to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination.▶ 1:11:17
Libya, on behalf of Arab Group, reaffirmed the central importance of establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, and stressed the need for concrete and immediate measures to achieve it.▶ 1:15:40
Russian Federation stated that regional security faces serious challenges, citing disregard for international law, expansion of military alliances and violation of the principle of the indivisibility of security, and that Russia's arms control proposals met with no response from Western representatives.▶ 1:37:37

Full digest, statement by statement →UN Web TV ↗

Friday, 23 October 2026

General Assembly plenary

General Assembly plenary, meeting 24

First Committee

First Committee, meeting 19

Third Committee

Third Committee, meeting 26

Sixth Committee

Sixth Committee, meeting 26

Sixth Committee, meeting 27

General Assembly plenary, meeting 25

First Committee, meeting 20

Sixth Committee, Working Group of the Whole