World leaders set to discuss raging conflicts, Global South's concerns over poverty, inflation & debt
World
More than 130 heads of state/government will attend the UNGA's 79th session beginning on Sept 24
UNITED NATIONS (APP) – Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will join world leaders at the United Nations next week to deliberate on key international issues, as wars in the Middle East and Europe threaten to spread with no end in sight and to address Global South’s concerns over increasing poverty, inflation and debt burden, while impacts of climate change worsen.
More than 130 heads of state/government will attend the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly’s 79th session beginning on Tuesday, Sept 24.
“We see out-of-control geopolitical divisions and runaway conflicts — not least in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and beyond,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters at a news conference ahead of the annual debate.
Those three wars are set to dominate the agenda — both in world leaders’ speeches before the assembly and at numerous side meetings
Getting to a cease-fire in Gaza is even more urgent now that Israel has turned its guns towards its northern border with Lebanon in pursuit of its object to destroy Hezbollah. Earlier this week, Israel’s detonations of hand-held devices by Hezbollah members left 37 dead and a hundred more injured that outraged most of the world.
Meanwhile, hundreds of New York Police Department (NYPD) personnel on Sunday began erecting roadblocks and checkpoints around UN Headquarters in Manhattan to turn the area into a high-security zone to protect the visiting world leaders.
PM Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to arrive in New York tomorrow at the head of the Pakistan delegation to UNGA. He will address the Assembly on September 27.
In his address, the prime minister will highlight Pakistan’s perspective on a range of international and regional issues of concern, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Before leaving for London on his way to New York, PM Shehbaz posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating that he anticipates a “busy week full of engagements”.
“During our interactions, we will address global issues, promoting peace, development and climate action. I will represent Pakistan’s perspective to the world, advocate our interests and strengthen international partnerships,” he added.
On the sidelines of the UNGA session, the prime minister is scheduled to attend several high-level meetings, including
discussions on existential threats posed by sea level rise and the UN Security Council’s Open Debate on Leadership for Peace.
He will also have several bilateral meetings with world leaders and a call on the UN chief.
One of his most watched bilateral meetings will be with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s new caretaker government, amid dramatic improvement in Islamabad-Dhaka ties following the ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina that has sent shock waves across India.
US President Joe Biden, as leader of the host country, will be the second speaker on Tuesday, the opening day of the annual gathering of world leaders who take the pulse of the planet and tackle global challenge.
This year’s theme for the session is “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations.”
“We hope that the 79th UNGA session, preceded by the Summit of the Future, will spur renewed international solidarity and cooperation to meet the challenges of our times and promote peace, progress and prosperity across the globe,” Pakistan UN Ambassador Munir Akram said, while noting that the meeting was taking place at an important juncture.
“The international security environment is tense and turbulent,” Ambassador Akram said in an interview with APP special correspondent at the UN.
“Global economic trends are also negative, constraining economic and social progress in the developing countries,” the Pakistani envoy said, adding, “The adverse impacts of climate change are become more acute.”
“Pakistan will enhance its focus on advancing sustainable development as well as international peace and security through the UN platform to works towards a more equitable and just international order,” Ambassador Akram said.
Several top-level meetings happening during the General Assembly focus on priorities of developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia: climate, health, financing for development, and how to get the Sustainable Development Goals – a global “to do” list created in 2015 – on track.
In a series of briefings, UN officials have said that efforts to address Global South needs, including tackling poverty and diseases and improving access to clean water and energy, are trailing far behind the target that U.N. member countries have set for themselves through the SDGs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are addressing the General Assembly on Sept 26 as the conflict rages on
Several new leaders will make their debut at this year’s gathering, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
This will be Biden’s final time at the General Assembly podium.
