AKD’s UN Debut: Poverty, Debt and the Drug Menace on the Global Stage

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took the spotlight at the General Debate of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, his first appearance at the world’s biggest diplomatic stage since assuming office.

His message? A familiar but firm reminder of the burdens faced by developing nations. Speaking with his trademark directness, Dissanayake highlighted the global struggle against poverty, the crushing weight of debt on poorer countries, and the menace of drugs — a theme he has increasingly flagged at home.

“Nothing groundbreaking, but he did reasonably well,” noted one commentator, who added that AKD managed to strike a tone of urgency without overreaching.

The President arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Tuesday morning, where he was received by Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN, former Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, along with his delegation.

In the lead-up to his address, Dissanayake met with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, and is scheduled for bilateral talks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and several world leaders. He will also meet Sri Lankan expatriates in the United States, a community whose voices are often sharply divided on the island’s politics.

For AKD, the speech was more about presence than policy. By stepping onto the UN stage, he signaled that Sri Lanka’s new leadership is ready to engage with global conversations — even if the themes, poverty and drugs, are echoes of debates long underway.