Kathmandu, September 18

Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali is leaving for New York on September 21, leading a Nepali delegation to the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The foreign minister will be accompanied by his spouse, Saraswoti Gyawali.

The delegation will comprise senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador of Nepal to the United States of America Arjun Kumar Karki, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations Amrit Bahadur Rai and other officials from the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York.

The General Debate of the UNGA will begin on September 24 under the theme ‘Galvanising Multilateral Efforts for Poverty Eradication, Quality Education, Climate Action and Inclusion.’ Minister Gyawlai will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 30. On September 26, Minister Gyawali will chair the Informal Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers, according to a press release issued today by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On the margins of the UNGA, Minister Gyawali will participate in the Climate Action Summit, United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and the United Nations High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development.

While in New York, Minister Gyawali will address separate ministerial meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement, G77 and China, Least Developed Countries, and Land-locked Developing Countries. He will represent also Nepal at the Ministerial Meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue.

The foreign minister will also address the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the United Nations Group of Friends of Mediation and High-level Dialogue on Peace Operations.

He will participate in the high-level commemorative event convened by the president of the General Assembly to mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, stated the press release. Minister Gyawali will attend the reception to be hosted by the US president on September 24 evening, and will join the State Luncheon hosted by the UN secretary general the same day.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, Minister Gyawali will engage in bilateral meetings with his counterparts from various countries.

Minister Gyawali is also scheduled to interact with Nepali Diaspora in New York on the 26th of September, and attend an interactive meeting on brain gain with the Nepali diaspora community on the 29th of September in Chicago. He will return from New York on October 1.