Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will lead Pakistan’s delegation at a high-level segment of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from today, drawing the attention of the international community toward the “grave crisis” in Gaza and call for “decisive action” to end the suffering of Palestinians, according to a statement by the government.
World leaders gather in New York every September for several days of speeches at the annual UNGA session.
In his address to the General Assembly this year, PM Shehbaz will urge the international community to resolve the situations of prolonged occupation and denial of the right to self-determination in India-occupied Kashmir and Palestine, the government statement posted on X said. It added that the PM will also highlight Pakistan’s perspective on the regional security situation, as well as other issues of international concern, including climate change, terrorism, Islamophobia, and sustainable development.
PM Shehbaz’s “participation in this biggest annual gathering of global leaders will showcase Pakistan’s strong commitment to multilateralism and the United Nations and to highlight Pakistan’s longstanding contribution towards the shared objectives of peace and development,” the statement read.
The prime minister, who reached New York late Monday night after departing from London, will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, other ministers and senior officials.
On the sidelines of the UNGA session, he will hold meetings with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, Kuwait’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid, World Bank President Ajay Banga and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
According to the government statement, the PM will exchange of views on issues of mutual interest during his bilateral meetings with world leaders and senior UN officials.
“He will also underline Pakistan’s resolve to work with all UN Member States to uphold the UN Charter, prevent conflict, foster peace and promote global prosperity in Pakistan’s current role as a member of the Security Council. “
Moreover, he will attend several high-level events, including important meetings of the UN Security Council, a high-level meeting of the Global Development Initiative on the theme “Recommit to our Original Aspirations, United to Build a Brighter Future of Global Development” and a special high-level event on climate action, the government statement said.
Dar in New York
Ahead of the start of the UNGA session today, France and Monaco extended formal recognition to the State of Palestine at a high-level conference in New York on Monday.
Foreign Minister Dar, who represented Pakistan at the conference, was not among the speakers — which included heads of state and government from countries such as Turkiye, Australia, Brazil and Canada, among others.
However, he welcomed announcements regarding the recognition of Palestine by several countries on X.
According to state-run PTV News, Dar met Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand today on the sidelines of the UNGA session. “They acknowledged the positive trajectory of Pakistan–Canada relations, agreed to further strengthen economic and trade ties and recognised the vital role of the Pakistani diaspora in Canada,” PTV News reported.
Dar also posted a picture of his with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on X. In his post, he said he had “reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with the Syrian people”, in his meeting with the Syrian president. “And we shared the resolve to further deepen historic Pakistan–Syria friendship through cooperation across diverse domains, including trade, human capital and development.”
Yesterday, he took part in the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting at UN Headquarters. He also participated in consultations hosted by Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Other participants included the deputy prime ministers of Jordan and UAE, and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. He also met with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand.
More to follow
Additional input from APP and Reuters