Washington: In a significant change to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) schedule, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not deliver a statement during the annual general debate at the end of September. Instead, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is expected to represent India in the discussion. This update comes from the revised provisional list of speakers released by the United Nations.
Prime Minister Modi is still scheduled to visit New York later this month. He will address a grand community event at the 16,000-seat Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island on September 22. This event is expected to draw a large crowd of Indian-Americans, with over 24,000 NRIs expressing their desire to participate.
Additionally, PM Modi will speak at the United Nations’ historic “Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow,” which will be held on September 22-23 at the UN headquarters in New York. This summit aims to build international consensus on improving the present and ensuring future security, featuring discussions on a global digital contract and a declaration on future generations.
A provisional list of speakers released in July initially indicated that PM Modi would deliver a statement in the high-level debate on September 26. However, the revised list released on Friday shows that External Affairs Minister Jaishankar will deliver the statement on September 28 instead. The note accompanying the list, signed by Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management Movses Abelian, explains that the changes reflect updates in the level of representation among member countries.
The general debate of the 79th session of the UNGA will take place from September 24 to 30. Traditionally, Brazil will open the high-level session on September 24, followed by the United States, with President Joe Biden delivering his final address of the current term.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will present his report before the start of the general debate, followed by an address from the President of the 79th session of the General Assembly. Before this session, Guterres will host the “Summit of the Future” on September 22-23, where world leaders will gather to adopt a treaty for the future.
The Indian-American Community of USA (IACU) has announced that registrations for the “Modi and US Progress Together” program have been completed through 590 community organizations across America, all of which have signed on as “Welcome Partners.”
This shift in the UNGA schedule highlights the dynamic nature of international diplomacy and India’s strategic approach to global engagement.
