New York, 19 September 2023 (TDI): Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, has arrived in New York to represent the Kingdom at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78), on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.
Prince Faisal will lead Saudi Arabia’s delegation in the opening meetings of UNGA 78, participating in various official discussions addressing global developments and efforts to strengthen international peace and security.
Key topics on the agenda include human development, environmental conservation, and the pursuit of sustainable development goals.
During his stay in New York, Prince Faisal is also set to attend ministerial meetings organized within the framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Arab League.
On the sidelines of the General Assembly session, the foreign minister will engage in bilateral meetings with representatives of friendly nations and officials from international organizations participating in the General Assembly activities.
The high-level general debate of UNGA 78 will run from September 19 to September 23 and on September 26.
World leaders will convene to participate in the annual high-level General Debate, centered on the theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all.”
Additionally, the General Assembly will host a high-level dialogue on financing for development, addressing pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, universal health coverage, the fight against tuberculosis, and a preparatory ministerial meeting for the Summit of the Future.
In a separate event, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated in a high-level meeting of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, held on the sidelines of the UNGA 78.
During his participation, he delivered a speech emphasizing the adverse impact of illicit synthetic drug production and trafficking on security, development, and societies.
He stressed the need for collaborative efforts among governments and international stakeholders to combat the global drug problem.
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Prince Faisal reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the ministerial declaration that launched the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, aiming to strengthen a collective global response to this issue.
Moreover, he also expressed the Kingdom’s determination to enhance international cooperation and multilateral frameworks to combat transnational narcotics trade and distribution.
Additionally, Information sharing and continuous monitoring, according to Prince Faisal, are vital tools to identify and address obstacles contributing to the global spread of illicit drug use.
