79th United Nations General Assembly Begins in New York with Focus on Global Peace, Development, and Human Dignity

The General Debate of the 79th United Nations General Assembly began in New York today at 9:00 a.m., with the Macedonian delegation, led by President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, participating. The theme of this year’s assembly is “Leaving no one behind: Acting together to advance peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations.”

After the official welcome of heads of state and government by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the opening session will follow, during which he will deliver an introductory address. Traditionally, the representative of Brazil speaks first, followed by U.S. President Joe Biden and then Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The session will be chaired by Cameroonian diplomat Philemon Yang.

The General Assembly, running until September 30, is expected to be attended by 133 heads of state and government, three vice presidents, 80 deputy prime ministers, and 45 ministers from UN member states.

At the invitation of U.S. President Joe Biden, President Siljanovska Davkova will attend a meeting on the topic “Global Coalition to Address the Threat of Synthetic Drugs.” She will also participate in the Annual Meeting of the Platform of Women Leaders of the UN General Assembly, focusing on the “Equal Participation of Women in Decision-Making: Ensuring Peace, Socio-Economic Opportunities, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations.” Tomorrow, Siljanovska Davkova is scheduled to address the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

Last night, President Siljanovska Davkova attended a reception organized by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba on the occasion of the Future Summit, held over the last two days as an introduction to the General Assembly.

The Macedonian delegation includes Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Timcho Mutsunski, Environment Minister Izet Mejiti, and Health Minister Arben Taravari, who arrived in New York yesterday. Mutsunski is holding several bilateral meetings today.

Due to the UN week and the presence of many high-ranking guests and delegations, New York is under heightened police security. Several streets in Manhattan have been blocked, and congestion has increased since the start of the Future Summit.