Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard to Attend UN General Assembly

UN Leadership and Global Multilateralism

The delegation’s agenda centers heavily on the selection process for the next United Nations Secretary-General and the broader preservation of the rules-based international order. Agnès Callamard stated that the United Nations faces its most critical juncture since its founding over eight decades ago, citing active conflicts, climate collapse, and systemic inequality.

The next UN Secretary-General must be a staunch defender of international law. They must be willing to confront the powerful bullies and predators that stalk the international stage.

Instead, the organization maintains that the next Secretary-General requires the specific conviction to resist geopolitical pressure and defend the UN Charter. Amnesty International points to mounting political, financial, and diplomatic pressure on the organization, alongside ongoing paralysis within the UN Security Council, as principal threats to global governance.

Artificial Intelligence and International Justice

Beyond institutional leadership, the human rights organization’s schedule targets the governance of emerging technologies and international accountability frameworks. Callamard’s meetings will address the push for a global, binding, transparent, and effective regulatory model to manage artificial intelligence, which the organization characterizes as an unrestrained and extractive race. The diplomatic mission also addresses persistent friction surrounding global accountability mechanisms. Amnesty International’s briefing itinerary highlights ongoing opposition by the Trump administration toward international justice institutions, alongside international responses to the conflict in Gaza, conditions in the West Bank, and unlawful military actions involving the United States and Israel against Iran. Additional agenda items include internal repression and crimes against humanity inside Iran, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan involving the United Arab Emirates and the international community.

Resource Exploitation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ahead of the General Assembly engagements, Amnesty International scheduled the September 21, 2026, publication of a dedicated briefing examining human rights abuses tied to resource extraction in Central Africa. The document details violations against artisanal gold and cobalt miners operating within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the organization’s findings, the M23 armed group perpetrates these abuses with the backing of Rwanda, carrying direct implications for international supply chains and mineral trade networks.

Scheduled Briefings and Public Events

During her stay in New York City, Agnès Callamard will participate in public and media-accessible discussions regarding ongoing territorial conflicts and international humanitarian law. On September 24, 2026, from 5:00 to 6:30 pm, she is scheduled to speak at a side event hosted jointly by Amnesty International, the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, and the Committee to Protect Journalists. The panel discussion, titled “When Atrocities Persist: International Responsibility and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” will take place at the Japan Society’s Murase Room located at 333 E 47th St. in Manhattan.