New York, 29 September 2026 — The United Nations General Assembly is holding a high-level meeting today to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, one of the final events of the 81st session's High-Level Week.

The meeting runs in two sessions (10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3 p.m.–6 p.m. New York time). Member states are expected to set out their positions on disarmament, non-proliferation and reducing nuclear risks.

The International Day itself is observed on 26 September each year. It was established by a General Assembly resolution in 2013 and first observed in 2014.

The meeting takes place at a time of heightened concern about nuclear risk:

India is party to neither, citing concerns about discrimination and the need for a universal, verifiable disarmament process, while maintaining a no-first-use doctrine.

Statements from today's meeting will feed into the General Assembly's First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), which typically meets in October to debate and vote on disarmament resolutions.

For a detailed comparison, see our explainer on the NPT and TPNW.

Source: United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week 2026 programme.