KEY POINTS
- PM Sharif to attend UNGA opening and Arab-Islamic summit in New York.
- President Trump will also participate in the Arab and Islamic leaders’ summit.
- Gaza war expected to dominate Trump’s meeting with Muslim-majority countries.
NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the opening ceremony of the 80th United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday and join a special summit of Arab and Islamic countries hosted by the United States and Qatar, which will also be attended by US President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Sharif has been invited for special participation in the Arab and Islamic countries summit in New York.
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, the Prime Minister will meet Austrian Chancellor Christine Stocker, Kuwait’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
The Prime Minister will also attend and address the high-level meeting of the Global Development Initiative (GDI).
Trump to Meet Muslim Leaders
Trump is set to meet leaders and officials from several Muslim-majority countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly today, with Gaza expected to top the agenda.
The meeting comes amid mounting international concern over Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 65,000 people and displaced the entire population since October 2023, according to UN reports.
According to Reuters, invitations have been extended to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
Trump is expected to propose the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the creation of a transitional administrative framework, and the deployment of Arab and Muslim peacekeeping contingents to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction.
Arab and Muslim leaders have voiced alarm at the scale of Israel’s military operations, with the United Nations and human rights experts characterizing the devastation in Gaza as tantamount to genocide.
The talks coincide with a wave of international recognition for Palestine. France, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal have formally recognized the State of Palestine in recent days, joining over 151 countries worldwide.
UN General Assembly Opens Amid Crises
The high-level gathering of world leaders marks the opening of the UNGA’s 80th session under the theme “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.” Brazil will deliver the opening address, followed by the United States, as per tradition.
Beyond Gaza, leaders are expected to deliberate on the war in Ukraine, the crisis in Sudan, climate change, and the advancement of women’s rights. With heightened global instability, this year’s Assembly is seen as a defining moment for multilateral diplomacy.
