PM Modi will not address UNGA session; External Affairs Minister Jaishankar to deliver speech on Sept 28

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) later this month, according to an updated provisional list of speakers released by the UN.

While Modi will visit New York this month, he will not participate in the UNGA General Debate. Instead, he will be present at a major community event on September 22 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, which can accommodate 16,000 attendees. Modi is also scheduled to speak at the UN’s ‘Summit of the Future’ on September 22 and 23.

Initially, a provisional list from July had scheduled Modi to speak at the UNGA General Debate on September 26. However, the updated schedule now lists External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to address the General Debate on September 28.

According to Movses Abelian, Under Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management, the changes reflect updates in representation levels and adjustments made through discussions among member states.

General Debate at UNGA

The General Debate of the 79th UNGA session will take place from September 24 to 30. Brazil will open the debate on September 24, followed by President Joe Biden’s final address before the U.S. presidential elections in November.

Modi, who began his historic third term in June, last spoke at the UNGA in September 2021. His previous visit to the UN headquarters was on June 21 last year, where he led the Yoga Day celebrations before traveling to Washington, D.C., for a State Visit with President Biden.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will present his report before the General Debate begins, with the president of the 79th General Assembly also delivering an address. Guterres is hosting the Summit of the Future from September 20-23, where world leaders will discuss the Pact for the Future, including a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations.

Community Event in Long Island

Over 24,000 members of the Indian diaspora are expected at the Long Island community event, with registrations from 590 community organizations across the U.S., according to the Indian-American Community of USA (IACU). The event will mark a decade since Modi’s 2014 Madison Square Garden address. Modi also spoke at the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston in 2019, alongside former President Donald Trump.

Modi’s visit to the U.S. comes ahead of the presidential election, featuring a contest between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, the first woman of Black and Indian heritage to be a presidential candidate.

(With PTI Inputs)