Over 100 leaders to attend UNGA in person

AT LEAST 23 MINISTERS ARE SLATED TO SPEAK IN PERSON, ACCORDING TO THE LIST OBTAINED ON MONDAY BY AP

UNITED NATIONS: More than 100 world leaders are planning to attend the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) annual gathering in person next week, including US President Joe Biden, King Abdullah II of Jordan and the presidents of Brazil and Venezuela, according to the latest list of speakers.

The prime ministers of India, Japan and the UK will also be at the UN headquarters to deliver speeches to the 193member assembly, along with Israel’s new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

At least 23 ministers are slated to speak in person, according to the list obtained on Monday by AP.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the UN members decided to make this year’s gathering hybrid, offering nations the possibility of sending leaders to New York in person or making pre-recorded statements to be shown in the assembly chamber, as virtually all countries did last year.

The high-level week begins on September 20 with a meeting on the climate crisis called by UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.

He will deliver his state of the world address at the following day’s opening of the global gathering, officially called the General Debate. The last scheduled speakers on September 27 are from the delegations of North Korea, Myanmar, Guinea and Afghanistan.