Why does Brazil get to speak first at UNGA?

For several decades, Brazil has customarily delivered the opening address at the United Nations General Assembly's General Debate, a practice that observers and diplomats have accepted as a recurring feature of the annual session. The United States, as the host nation for UN headquarters in New York, generally follows Brazil and speaks second. Al Jazeera's Farah Samir provides an overview of how this sequence came to be and how the wider speaking order is determined.

The arrangement originated as an informal accommodation made in the early years of the UNGA. Rather than a formal rule codified in UN procedures, the practice evolved through precedent: Brazil volunteered to speak first at one early session, and the gesture became a customary opening slot that subsequent assemblies have preserved. The U.S. position as second speaker stems from its role as host country for UN headquarters.

Beyond the first two addresses, the General Debate's speaking order is established using a combination of factors rather than a strict alphabetical or fixed rotation. The UN considers each member state's level of representation (for example, whether a head of state, head of government or foreign minister will speak), any requests submitted by delegations about preferred speaking times, and the need to balance regional representation across the schedule. The Secretary-General's office compiles these preferences into a final timetable.

While the Brazil-first tradition remains an informal custom rather than a binding rule, its longevity has made it an expected part of UNGA ritual. Al Jazeera's explanation highlights how diplomatic traditions, procedural practicality and negotiated arrangements among member states together shape the order in which world leaders and representatives address the General Debate.