Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif to share flood-hit country's plight in his address at UNGA
Sep 20, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan]/New York [US], September 20 : Pakistan Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif will share the sufferings of the people of the flood-hit country in his address at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) being held in New York.
"Reached NY a few hours ago to tell Pakistan's story to the world, a story of deep anguish and pain arising out of a massive human tragedy caused by floods. In my address at UNGA and bilateral meetings, I will present Pakistan's case on issues that call for the world's immediate attention," PM Shehbaz Sharif tweeted.
He arrived in New York on Tuesday to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
On his arrival at the John F Kennedy International Airport today, the premier was received by Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram, Pakistan's Ambassador to Washington Masood Khan and other senior officers, reported The News International.
Shehbaz will address the assembly on the concluding day of the five-day session of the UNGA being held from September 19-23 at the UN Headquarters in the US.
As per a statement issued from the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar, the focus of PM Sharif's speech will be the challenges faced by Pakistan in wake of the recent climate-induced catastrophic floods in the country.
"The prime minister will outline concrete proposals for collectively tackling the existential threat posed by climate change. He will also share Pakistan's position and perspective on regional and global issues of concern, including Jammu and Kashmir, which is one of the long-standing unresolved disputes on the UN agenda," the statement read.
On Tuesday, Sharif will attend the reception of the Secretary General of the United Nations and meet French President Emmanuel Macron, the Austrian chancellor and the Spanish president, reported The News International.
Besides, he will hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of other countries, the UNGA president, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and heads of different international organisations, IFIs and philanthropic organisations.
On Wednesday, he will meet the President of the European Union Council Charles Michael. Apart from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Shehbaz Sharif will also have a bilateral meeting with Iran's President Seyed Ibrahim Raisi.
On the sidelines of the UNGA session, the PM will participate in the Global Food Security Summit, jointly organised by the African Union, European Union and the United States, and closed-door leaders gathering on COP-27, bringing together select world leaders to discuss climate change, reported The News International.
On Wednesday, PM Shehbaz Sharif will also meet Managing Director of International Monitory Fund Kristalina Georgieva and President World Bank David Mills. Later, he will also host a luncheon in honour of the President of Turkey and his wife, besides meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.
Other engagements of the Prime Minister include meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, President of the United Nations General Assembly, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.
Shehbaz Sharif will also meet the Prime Ministers of China, Japan and Luxemburg.
During his visit, Sharif is accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, other members of the cabinet, and senior government officials.
The 77th UNGA is being held at the UN headquarters in the US city of New York.
The Assembly's high-level meeting returns to a complete in-person format after two years of the Covid pandemic with 153 heads of state or government, three Deputy Prime Ministers and 34 foreign ministers expected to participate.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Climate Change with a particular focus on the recent floods in Pakistan, post-covid recovery, covid vaccination access, and the economic situation post-covid are some major topics expected to be discussed during the five-days long session.