PM to address UNGA general debate today

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address the high-level General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) today (Bangladesh Time).

The Prime Minister’s speech will dominate the issues of Rohingya, climate change and post Covid-19 economic recovery, concerned officials said.

Sustainable development, food security and eliminating inequality will get prominence as other top priorities in her speech, they said.

The Prime Minister attended the first day of the UNGA General Debate on September 21 which is scheduled to be end on September 27.

Sheikh Hasina will deliver her speech in Bangla like the previous years following the footprint of her father and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who addressed the UN in Bangla in 1974.

This will be the 18th time the Premier is going to address the UNGA session in Bangla.

Sheikh Hasina arrived in New York via Helsinki to attend the UNGA session in person as she could not join the 75th UNGA physically due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

The 76th session of the UNGA began on September 14. On that day, Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives was sworn in as the General Assembly President while he opened the current session.

Due to the global pandemic, the number of delegations allowed into the General Assembly Hall is limited and the UN Member States delegates were encouraged to provide pre-recorded statements instead of representing in person at UN Headquarters.

Over 100 heads of the state or government are expected to attend the UNGA session in person.

The UNGA is the main policy-making organ of the United Nations.