UNITED NATIONS, Sept 19: Some 80 heads of state and government and dozens of foreign ministers are expected to participate in 62nd session of the UN General Assembly’s annual debate which begins next week in New York.

This year Pakistan will be represented by Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri since President Gen Pervez Musharraf who has been attending the annual UN session since 2000 would not be able to come due to elections at home.

At a press conference on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon predicted an unprecedented level of diplomatic activity aimed at forging common strategies in response to shared concerns.

“This will be a most intense period of multi-lateral diplomacy ever in the United Nations’ history, I believe,” Mr Ban said. “As we move well into the 21st century, the United Nations is, once again, the global forum where issues are discussed and solutions are hammered out.”

He also spoke about a number of key events that will take place at the United Nations headquarters in the weeks to come, including planned international meetings on climate change, Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and the “Quartet process,” as the international diplomatic grouping trying to resolve the Middle East conflict is known.

On Darfur, Mr Ban said he would discuss the issue with African Union chairperson Alpha Oumar Konaré.

“This will be an informal event where the leaders of the world come together, with a renewed sense of commitment, to tackle a problem that faces each one of us -- and above all the most vulnerable populations on our planet, those endangered by rising sea levels and those whose supply of food and water will greatly be affected by the changing climate,” he noted.

Climate change, also the theme of this year’s assembly debate, is a “challenge to our leadership, skills and vision -- and we have to address that challenge boldly,” he said.

He also said cooperation with both Member States and the UN Secretariat is crucial to pushing the UN reform agenda forward. “Precisely because our work is so important, we must deliver to the best of our ability,” he noted, calling for “faster, more effective action; a work ethic that puts a premium on pragmatic results, not bureaucratic process; and above all, scrupulous attention to the highest standards of transparency and professional ethics.”

Responding to newsmen’s questions on Iran, Mr Ban said that any issues pertaining to the country’s nuclear programme should be resolved through peaceful dialogue.

He said that he encouraged “Iran to be fully cooperative and transparent in dealing with the UN International Atomic Energy Agency,” and also to implement the joint work plan agreed to last month on how to resolve outstanding issues between the agency and Tehran.