As the 81st iteration of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) gets underway in New York, the Caribbean island nation of Dominica is preparing to make its voice heard on the world stage through its head of state, President Sylvanie Burton. Per an official statement released by the Office of the President, Burton will depart Dominica on September 19, with a high-stakes national address scheduled for the assembly’s General Debate on September 22. She will conclude her trip and return to the country by September 24.
This year’s UNGA session formally opened its proceedings on September 8, 2026, with the central General Debate — where global leaders lay out their national priorities and policy positions — running from September 22 to 28. The 2026 session has adopted the unifying theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All,” a framing that emerges amid a period of unprecedented global turbulence. Nations across every region currently face overlapping crises, from armed conflicts and accelerating climate change to persistent economic volatility, widening wealth gaps, and the disruptive rapid expansion of new technologies. These challenges have also sparked widespread debate over the ability of multilateral frameworks to deliver meaningful collective action.
Burton’s upcoming address is expected to lay out Dominica’s clear stance on the most pressing issues facing the global community, while reaffirming the island nation’s longstanding commitment to multilateral cooperation, global peace, inclusive sustainable development, and urgent climate action. The President’s remarks will also place significant focus on a critical gap between global pledges and on-the-ground impact: the official statement emphasized that Burton will highlight the urgent need to translate international commitments into tangible, life-improving outcomes for ordinary people around the world.
For Dominica, a small island developing state, climate and development justice have remained top diplomatic priorities. The government has repeatedly called for global development financing structures that account for the unique economic and environmental vulnerabilities small states face, alongside expanded international support to help these nations build climate adaptation capacity and boost their resilience to climate disasters, which disproportionately impact low-lying small island nations.
Burton will not travel alone: her delegation includes First Gentleman Gilbert Burton, Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy Minister Dr. Vince Henderson, Dominica’s Permanent UN Representative Philbert Aaron, Deputy Permanent Representative Kelver Darroux, Sheldon Peter Anthony, and additional senior staff from Dominica’s UN Mission. To ensure continuity of governance during the President’s travels, Josette Matthew has been appointed to serve as Acting President, stepping in to carry out presidential functions for the duration of Burton’s absence from the country.