PM Shehbaz set to address 81st UNGA session

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to address the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday. According to Pakistan’s Mission at the UN, the prime minister will present Pakistan’s perspective on the evolving regional and international security environment, stressing dialogue, diplomacy, restraint and the peaceful resolution of disputes, state-run Pakistan TV reported. The statement said these principles have been a consistent feature of Pakistan’s foreign policy and have guided its approach during its current term on the UN Security Council. The prime minister will also outline Pakistan’s priorities on sustainable development, climate change, counter-terrorism, Islamophobia, global economic challenges, UN reform and the Sustainable Development Goals. A particular focus will be the Global South, with a call for greater cooperation on the intertwined development, economic, climate and security challenges facing developing countries. The prime minister will also draw the world’s attention to prolonged occupation and the denial of the right to self-determination in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine. He will stress that both issues must be addressed in line with relevant Security Council resolutions. PM in New York The prime minister arrived in New York on Monday, leading a small delegation to the UNGA session. He was received by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh and other mission officials. He is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. On Tuesday, the prime minister attended the opening session of the General Assembly, during which US President Donald Trump described him as a “terrific man” while referring to the May 2025 Pakistan-India conflict. On Wednesday, PM Shehbaz addressed the 40th anniversary session of the Declaration on the Right to Development, calling for reform of the international financial architecture, action on debt distress and support for climate adaptation and loss-and-damage financing. On the sidelines, he met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and told her that Pakistan was moving from macroeconomic stabilisation towards economic recovery. The two also discussed the forthcoming IMF programme review. He also met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, highlighting the importance of GSP Plus for Pakistan’s economy, as well as Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Chairman Denis Bećirović and Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates, with whom he discussed polio eradication and agricultural reforms. Speaking to the media, the premier said Islamabad had “not lost hope” of de-escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. On Thursday, the prime minister met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the regional situation and bilateral relations. He also met US-based Pakistani business leaders, inviting them to invest in Pakistan, and a delegation of Pakistani youth professionals.