PM departs for New York to attend UNGA

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday departed for the United States to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) set to take place from September 23-27, 2024 in New York.

In his address at the UN General Assembly, the prime minister will reaffirm Pakistan's steadfast commitment to multilateralism and express support for the role of the United Nations in forging global peace, security, and prosperity.

He will also emphasize the importance of addressing long-standing issues on the agenda of the UN Security Council, including the question of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir.

In his social media post on X before his departure, the prime minister said he looked forward to a busy week full of engagements.

"During our interactions, we will take up global issues, promoting peace, development and climate action. Will represent Pakistan's perspective to the world, advocate our interests and strengthen international partnerships," he added.

During his participation in the UNGA session, the prime minister will also attend several high-level meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA session, including the High-level Meeting on Existential Threats Posed by Sea-level Rise and the UN Security Council's Open Debate on Leadership for Peace.

Earlier, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in a statement informed that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will not proceed to New York to participate in the UNGA session due to important diplomatic commitments and preparations for the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit to be held in Islamabad.