US president to address UN General Assembly on Sept. 21

UNITED NATIONS

US President Joe Biden will address the United Nations General Assembly one day later than normal as he is slated to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London, his UN envoy said Friday.

Biden’s traditional address to the 193-member UN General Assembly will not take place on the opening day of the annual debate, Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters, adding that it will instead take place the following day.

The US president is traditionally the second leader to take the podium during the UN general debate, which begins on Tuesday.

But Biden is slated to attend the funeral for the UK’s late Queen Elizabeth II, which has been scheduled for Monday, and will have to travel back to New York to attend the high-level week.

John Kirby, Biden’s National Security Council spokesman, told reporters that the president will speak on Wednesday afternoon, and then head into a series of meetings, including a fundraiser to combat the global spread of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and will host a diplomatic reception for attending leaders Wednesday evening.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will co-chair a summit focused on global food security alongside representatives from several nations and supranational organizations on Tuesday.

• Address
• Biden
• United Nations General Assembly