ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will virtually address, 76th session of UN General Assembly (UNGA), the world’s biggest diplomatic gathering, on September 24.
“We will participate actively in the General Assembly session,” Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram said in an interview with state news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
Noting that the world confronts multiple challenges — the Covid pandemic, it’s devastating impact on the economies, he said these threats coincide with rising tensions between the great powers, particularly the US and China, a new arms race and persisting and proliferating conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and other regions of the world.
“It is expected that the focus of the General Assembly’s discussions will be on these global issues and on certain conflict situations,” the Pakistan envoy said.
Member states, he added, are also expected to respond to the comprehensive report entitled: Our Common Agenda submitted last week by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that contains several new proposals for enabling the U.N. to deal with the world’s current and future problems.
Ambassador Akram said Pakistan’s policy statement, which will be delivered by Prime Minister Khan, is expected to convey Islamabad’s views on the major global economic and political issues as well as on the grave situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir and on the fast-evolving situation in Afghanistan.
Throughout the session, he said, Pakistan will draw the world‘s attention to the human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir, the imperative to stabilize Afghanistan, the need to combat Islamophobia and counter disinformation, such as that being propagated by India, as well as to address the economic challenges confronting developing countries.
Afghanistan, climate change and the coronavirus crises will dominate discussions at the U.N. General Assembly’s debate in which a large number of world leaders are set to participate, as security is tightened in New York.
This year’s theme is: “Building resilience through hope – to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainability, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalize the United Nations”.
Despite U.S. requests that member states send pre-recorded messages to curb the spread of the coronavirus, 83 heads of state, 43 prime ministers, three deputy prime ministers and 23 foreign ministers are scheduled to address the General Assembly in person.
