Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where he is set to address key issues such as Palestine, Islamophobia, and other global concerns, the Foreign Office announced on Sunday. His speech is scheduled for September 27.
The prime minister, who will participate in the UNGA session from September 23 to 27, plans to emphasize the need to resolve long-standing matters on the UN Security Council’s agenda, including the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine.
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A day earlier, PM Shehbaz arrived in London for a brief visit before his departure to New York on Monday. “Departing for New York to represent Pakistan at the 79th UN General Assembly. Looking forward to a busy week full of engagements. We will present Pakistan’s perspective to the world,” he shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Originally, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was also scheduled to join the UNGA delegation, but his trip was canceled just hours before PM Shehbaz left for London. The Foreign Office explained that Dar’s absence was due to “important upcoming diplomatic engagements” and preparations for the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of Governments.
During his visit, PM Shehbaz will reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism and the UN’s role in promoting global peace, security, and prosperity. He is expected to highlight the need to address imbalances in international economic relations and push for reforms in the global financial system.
The prime minister will also stress Pakistan’s focus on placing people at the center of both domestic and global development efforts. As an incoming member of the UN Security Council for 2025-26, Shehbaz will express Islamabad’s dedication to working with all member states to uphold the UN Charter, prevent conflict, and promote peace and prosperity worldwide.
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Additionally, the PM will call for decisive global action to combat climate change and confront the rising wave of Islamophobia. On the sidelines of the UNGA session, he is set to attend several high-level meetings, 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.”
His schedule also includes bilateral meetings with key world leaders, including the UN Secretary-General and the UNGA President.