UN High Level Week

FM Sergei Lavrov will attend High Level Week at the United Nations.  This will be the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81) and will open on Tuesday, 8 September 2026. The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, 22 September 2026.

Moving up to that, we may see something very different, and then again, we may see a continuation of the chaos being very deliberately seeded across the world.  The first hints will be if the US again plays games with visa issuance for Mr Lavrov’s delegation.  Last year they eventually issued the visas, when the plane had already left and Mr Lavrov had to do his task with a reduced delegation and Maria Zakharova frequently standing in as photographer. It will be a time where we will be able to assess whether Russia and China are progressing in their quest to reform the UN.   The US may struggle to keep its own pose, within its own chaos, as this gets close to the mid term elections.

Russia and China supports the continuation of the UNGA on the basis of the fact that the world needs a combined assembly.  But, they are also intent that the current UN needs reformation.  The UN by definition holds international law and both Russia and China considers current international law important for the world. (Your mileage may vary).

Given these circumstances, I will post the Russian and Chinese UNSC speeches that are worth while, from the Russian and the Chinese permanent missions.  What they attend to in the next weeks, will certainly be some of the issues that FM Lavrov will attend to.  To my knowledge, it has not been announced yet which senior Chinese official will attend.  This will most probably be Mr Wang Yi.

Mr Nebenzia made a sharp statement on threats to international peace and security caused by ISIL and affiliates.  He talks about Africa and Central Asia, where we have the tentacles of the hegemon and paid by the hegemon, almost shock troops.  He is not shy to call this “The shift of international terrorist activity towards Africa is largely the result of support for illegal armed groups by former colonial powers driven by neo-colonial ambitions.  

Here is a condensed version of his statement.

Statement by Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia at a UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by ISIL (New York, August 5, 2026)

Read in full
Broadcast of the entire meeting

The growing threat posed by ISIL and its affiliates in Africa is a matter of serious concern, as are the increasingly sophisticated methods of extremist and terrorist propaganda and the evolving means used to carry out terrorist attacks.

The use by terrorists of new and emerging technologies – including digital financial assets, artificial intelligence and UAVs – presents a major challenge requiring a coordinated international response.

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🤝 Russia consistently supports the efforts of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism to strengthen the capacities of Member States.

With funding from Russia’s voluntary contribution, the Office provided technical assistance to countries in Africa and Central Asia under a project aimed at preventing weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. It also prepared comprehensive analytical materials and practical recommendations.

We attach great importance to and support counter-terrorism cooperation within #BRICS, the #SCO, the #CIS and the #CSTO, which Russia chairs this year.

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👉 The shift of international terrorist activity towards Africa is largely the result of support for illegal armed groups by former colonial powers driven by neo-colonial ambitions.

In July, following consultations between the Foreign Ministers of Russia and the Confederation of Sahel States, a Joint Statement was adopted condemning the “criminal collusion between Ukraine, France, certain other countries and terrorist groups operating in the Sahel”.

The Kiev regime has long been entirely dependent on the EU and NATO economically and militarily, while they use Ukraine to wage a proxy war against Russia.

The same approach is now being applied in Africa: by involving Ukrainians in supporting terrorist groups in the Sahel, Kiev’s Western sponsors are once again pursuing their own objectives through proxies.

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☝️ Russia consistently advocates stronger international counter-terrorism cooperation based on the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted in July, with the UN playing the central and coordinating role in sustainably reducing the terrorist threat and strengthening international security.

Russia remains open to cooperation with all constructive and interested states and relevant UN bodies – without hidden agendas or double standards.