President to address 78th session of UN General Assembly next week

Friday, 15 September 2023 00:24 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to take the helm of the Sri Lankan delegation at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The President will address the General Assembly on 21 September on the theme, ‘Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.’

President Wickremesinghe is slated to participate in a Heads of State/Government Leaders Dialogue during the 2023 SDG Summit. Here, world leaders will gather to provide crucial guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to 2030.

The President will also speak at the Climate Ambition Summit, convened by the UN Secretary-General, where a collective global will to hasten the transition to a more equitable renewable energy-based, climate-resilient global economy will be the central focus.

In addition, President Wickremesinghe will deliver a keynote address at the high-level meeting on Financing for Development, highlighting the imperative of fostering debt sustainability and strengthening the global financial safety net.

During his stay in New York, the President will also meet the UN Secretary General António Guterres and engage in discussions with leaders of member countries.

The President’s visit will extend beyond diplomatic engagements. He is set to participate in a roundtable discussion on Economic Opportunities in Sri Lanka, joined by over 40 prominent private companies from the United States. In addition, he will take centre stage at the Ocean Nations: The 3rd Annual Indo-Pacific Islands Dialogue, an event organised by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Sasakawa Foundation in New York.

President Wickremesinghe will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Ali Sabry PC, Secretary to President E. M. S. B. Ekanayake, Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane and other senior officials from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.