Modi Prime Minister Skips BRICS and UNGA General Debate, Jaishankar takes the Lead instead
The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is set to commence on September 9, marking a significant milestone as it commemorates its 80th anniversary on September 22. The theme for this year's session is 'Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development, and human rights'.
The high-level General Debate, running from September 23-29, will see world leaders gather to discuss a wide range of global issues. Among the topics on the agenda are the Summit for a Sustainable, Inclusive, and Resilient Global Economy; Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health and Well-being; the 30th Anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth; the Launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance; the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons; the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar; and a high-level meeting on the theme "Recommitting to, resourcing, and accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls".
Notable speakers during the General Debate include US President Donald Trump, who will address world leaders on September 23, and the heads of government of Israel, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, scheduled to speak on September 26. Brazil, as the traditional first speaker, will open the session, followed by the US.
India will be represented at the high-level General Debate by a 'minister', although the name of the Indian minister has not been confirmed if the originally scheduled speaker, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is to change. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to address the session on September 27.
Recent trade tensions between the US and India have raised eyebrows, with tariffs totalling 50% imposed on India, including 25% for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil. This development may potentially influence discussions during the UNGA session.
In February this year, Prime Minister Modi traveled to the US for a bilateral meeting with President Trump. The outcome of that meeting and any subsequent discussions are expected to be a topic of interest at the forthcoming UNGA session.
Another highly anticipated event during the session will be the Climate Summit, convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on September 24. The summit aims to galvanise ambition and accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis.
The UNGA list of speakers for the General Debate is provisional and subject to change. As the session approaches, updates on the speakers and their respective agendas will be announced. Stay tuned for more updates from the UN General Assembly.
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