Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to participate in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York from September 23-27, 2024, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday.

He will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and senior government officials, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said during her weekly press briefing.

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 UN in forging global peace, security, and prosperity.

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

The PM 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.

The bilateral meetings with world leaders, meetings with the UN secretary-general, the president of the UNGA, and members of the Pakistani diaspora are also on the agenda of the prime minister’s visit.

Simultaneously, Foreign Minister Dar will also participate in “several high-level events and bilateral meetings with his counterparts”.

Besides representing Pakistan at the Summit of the Future, convened by the UN Secretary-General on September 22, FM Dar will also take part in several ministerial meetings, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) annual coordination meeting of foreign ministers; meeting of the OIC contact group on Jammu and Kashmir; ministerial meeting of G77 and China; and the non-aligned movements ministerial meeting.

The spokesperson said that the prime minister’s upcoming participation in the 79th UNGA session “would be an opportunity to present Pakistan’s policy perspective on important issues on the global agenda and reaffirm Pakistan’s strong commitment to the purpose and principles of the UN Charter and international peace and security”.