NEW YORK, Sep 24: World leaders and senior officials are gathering at the United Nations as the 81st UN General Assembly continues its high-level week, with conflicts, climate change, economic uncertainty, artificial intelligence and international cooperation among the major issues under discussion.

The UN's high-level week runs from September 22 to 28, bringing heads of state and government together for the annual General Debate and a series of high-level meetings.

On Thursday, the UN is holding a high-level plenary meeting focused on the threats posed by rising sea levels. The meeting is aimed at strengthening international cooperation and encouraging practical action to protect vulnerable coastal and island communities.

Artificial intelligence has also emerged as a major international issue. At a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, OpenAI chief Sam Altman and Anthropic chief Dario Amodei called for stronger international oversight of AI, warning about potential risks associated with the rapid development of the technology.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez told the General Assembly that elections would be held as part of the country's transition toward what she described as full democracy. She did not announce a date for the elections and said her government had opened dialogue with opposition groups.

The UN gathering comes amid continuing conflicts and diplomatic tensions in several regions. The annual meeting is also taking place as the United States and China pursue high-level discussions on issues including trade, defence and artificial intelligence. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet in Washington on Thursday.

The General Assembly's discussions are expected to continue through September 28, with additional high-level meetings on pandemic preparedness and other global issues scheduled in the coming days.