ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on September 23, the Pakistani foreign office said on Sunday, adding the speech will be centered around the catastrophic floods in the South Asian country.

The UNGA session comes at a time when Pakistan is reeling from the aftermath of climate-induced floods, which have killed more than 1,500 people across the South Asian country since mid-June.

The deluges have washed away livestock and swathes of crops, and destroyed key infrastructure across Pakistan, with officials saying the losses from flood devastation could run as high as $40 billion.

The Pakistan prime minister, who will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and other members of his cabinet as well as senior officials, will participate in the high-level debate of the UNGA from September 19 to 23.

“The Prime Minister will address the UN General Assembly on 23 September. In focus will be the challenge faced by Pakistan in wake of the recent climate-induced catastrophic floods in the country,” the Pakistani foreign office said.

“The Prime Minister will outline concrete proposals for collectively tackling the existential threat posed by climate change.”

PM Sharif will also share Pakistan’s position and perspective on regional and global issues of concern, including the Jammu and Kashmir issue, which is one of the long-standing disputes on the UN agenda.

On the sidelines of the UNGA Session, the prime minister will participate in the Global Food Security Summit, jointly organized by the African Union, European Union and the United States, and a Closed-door Leaders Gathering on COP-27, bringing together select world leaders to discuss climate change.

“These will be important platforms to deliberate on effective measures required at the global level for addressing the two most pressing challenges confronting the international community today,” the statement read.

PM Sharif will hold a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from various countries, president of the UN General Assembly, the UN secretary-general, heads of international organizations and international media. 

Foreign Minister Bhutto-Zardari will also have an extensive program attending various high-level meetings and events, bilateral meetings with a number of his counterparts, media and think-tanks, besides chairing G-77 and China Annual Meeting of Foreign Ministers, Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Annual Coordination Meeting of Foreign Ministers, and participation in a meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir.