UNITED NATIONS: Prime Minister Imran Khan will address the landmark 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) via video-link on September 25, as a list of speakers released on Tuesday.
The high-level general debate of the 193-member assembly in which PM Imran Khan will speak, traditionally a high-profile annual UN event, will open on September 22.
But this year, it is expected to be a slimmed-down affair, with world leaders staying away from New York because of the coronavirus pandemic. They will be contributing set-piece speeches via video link. According to the list, Imran Khan, who last year made his debut at the UN as head of state, is the 6th speaker in the afternoon session.
On the other hand, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to speak on Sept. 26, a day after the Pakistani leader’s address. US President Donald Trump is set to address on the morning of September 22, the opening day of the general debate, which will run through Sept 29. The US is traditionally the second speaker in the high-level debate, after Brazil.
The President of the General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, said last month that each Member State, Observer State, and the European Union, was invited to submit a pre-recorded video, delivered by its designated high-level official, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall. Speeches will be limited to 15 minutes.
The iconic Hall will not be empty, however: the videos will be introduced by a representative of each state, who will be physically present. The same procedure will apply for a series of special high-level sessions scheduled to take place, including a commemoration of the landmark 75th anniversary of the United Nations; a summit on biodiversity; and a meeting to commemorate and promote, the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
