Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is in New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, with his first UNGA address as Prime Minister scheduled for 24 September and a series of bilateral, diplomatic and economic engagements planned during his visit
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrives in New York, USA, for the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Photo: Courtesy
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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrives in New York, USA, for the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Photo: Courtesy
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in New York yesterday (21 September) to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where he is scheduled to deliver his first address as prime minister on 24 September.
A Turkish Airlines flight carrying the prime minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and members of his entourage landed at John F Kennedy International Airport at 6:20pm New York time following a stopover in Istanbul, according to BSS. He was received by Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN Irene Zubaida Khan and Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Tareq Md Ariful Islam.
The prime minister is staying at the Hyatt Grand Central New York during his visit.
His official engagements will begin today (22 September) with a welcome breakfast hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres for heads of state and government and their spouses at the UN Headquarters.
The General Debate of the 81st UNGA is scheduled to run from 22 to 26 September and on 28 September.
Here are the key engagements on the prime minister’s schedule from 22 to 25 September:
22 September | UNGA opening and bilateral meetings
The prime minister will attend the opening of the 81st UNGA and hold bilateral and courtesy meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.
He is also scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop, European Council President António Costa, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Meta Platforms’ Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan.
In the evening, Tarique Rahman and his wife are scheduled to attend a reception hosted by the US president for heads of state and government and their spouses.
23 September | Rohingya crisis, climate and economic diplomacy
The prime minister will attend a breakfast meeting with representatives of international charitable and humanitarian organisations at Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
He will later join a high-level side event on the Rohingya crisis titled “The Rohingya Crisis: A Renewed Call for a Durable Solution from Protracted Displacement, with Justice and Accountability”.
He is also scheduled to participate in the high-level meeting on “Climate Action and the Just Transition” at the UN Headquarters and hold a bilateral meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
Boeing Global President Dr Brendan Nelson is scheduled to call on the prime minister at his hotel. A signing ceremony involving Bangladesh government representatives is also scheduled.
24 September | UNGA address
On 24 September, the prime minister will attend a high-level meeting on the existential threats posed by sea-level rise, where he will deliver the opening remarks.
He is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and attend a high-level event on integrating midwifery into primary healthcare to prevent maternal and newborn deaths.
Before the General Debate of the 81st UNGA, he will meet UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
The prime minister is scheduled to deliver his UNGA address at around 5:30pm New York time, although the timing may change. He has been allotted 15 minutes for the speech. BSS reports that this will be his first address to the General Assembly as prime minister.
Following the address, he will attend a dinner hosted in his honour by Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN at the Bangladesh Permanent Mission.
25 September | Wall Street, Kuwait and bilateral meetings
On 25 September, Tarique Rahman will attend a breakfast meeting with Wall Street representatives hosted by JPMorgan at its Manhattan headquarters.
He will then hold a bilateral meeting with Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and attend a lunch meeting with Prince Zeid Al Hussein, president of the International Peace Institute.
The prime minister is also scheduled to meet BNP leaders in the United States before leaving New York for Dhaka at 11pm New York time on Emirates flight EK202 via Dubai.
He is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on 27 September.
The visit comes as Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is presiding over the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The UN has listed the high-level week for 22–29 September, with the General Debate and several high-level meetings taking place during the period.
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