Pollack-Beighle to address UN General Assembly

Foreign Affairs (BUZA) Minister Yldiz PollackBeighle will reportedly address the 73rd United Nations (UN) General Assembly on September 29 on behalf of the Surinamese government. Minister Pollack-Beighle on Monday told the press that she would be the head of the Surinamese delegation that will attend the UNGA this year. The delegation that left on Monday will also hold talks with delegations from other countries. The 73rd session of the UNGA 73 opened on September 18. The high-level General Debate started on September 25 and is scheduled to last for nine working days. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, president-elect of the 73rd session of the UNGA, announced in July 2018 that the theme of the general debate will be, ‘Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies.’ Minister Pollack-Beighle will also hold bilateral talks with counterparts from various countries. She will also meet with UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres and María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, presidentelect of the 73rd session of the UNGA. Pollack-Beighle announced that she would hold talks with countries that have an active environment program.

“Suriname has offered 93% of its forest to the world,” said the minister who added that the talks with other countries will be about the ‘development’ of the forest. On September 26 the UNGA will hold a high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis, as agreed by Member States in February 2018. On September 27 the UN will hold a one-day comprehensive review of the progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which will be the third high-level meeting of the UNGA on the issue.