H.H. Sheikh Abdullah leads UAE delegation to 79th UNGA

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, led the UAE delegation to the high-level General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), taking place from Tuesday to next Monday in New York.

The UAE delegation, under his leadership, will engage with member states, UN officials, and other partners in discussions on key global challenges, including unhindered humanitarian access, addressing climate change, promoting global health and well-being, and resolving conflicts peacefully.

The leader underscored the importance of the multilateral system, aligning with the UAE's vision of a more equitable world for all. He noted that the country would continue to engage constructively with partners from member states and support initiatives aimed at finding collective solutions to global challenges. 

Sheikh Abdullah further emphasised the pivotal role of international cooperation and concerted efforts to promote peace, security, and prosperity in an increasingly polarised world.

The UAE, this year, participated in the Summit of the Future, a groundbreaking initiative proposed by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General. The summit seeks to revitalise multilateralism, empowering the international community to collaborate more comprehensively and constructively in addressing global challenges such as ending conflicts, alleviating hunger and water scarcity, preventing climate emergencies, and navigating new challenges in the digital sphere and outer space.

The UAE delegation will also take part in several high-level meetings focused on the humanitarian response in Gaza and Sudan, the future of artificial intelligence, enabling climate action, bridging the digital divide, climate resilience in relation to sea level rise, antimicrobial resistance, ending plastic pollution, and other relevant topics.

Ambassador Abushahab, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN, said, “UNGA 79 and the Summit of the Future present crucial opportunities to promote international cooperation and collectively address the pressing security, humanitarian, and environmental challenges of our time.”

He added, "The UAE delegation will build upon our numerous achievements from the previous session, including the country's membership in the Security Council for 2022-2023 and the exceptional accomplishments of COP28 presidency. We will continue to champion multilateralism, a goal we aim to advance at the 2026 UN Water Conference, which will be held in the UAE."