Dr Yunus to attend UNGA with 'small, functional' delegation: Foreign adviser

Chief adviser of the interim government professor Dr Muhammad Yunus will lead a “small and functional” delegation to the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain said on Monday.

“He (CA) wanted a small delegation instead of a big one,” he told reporters at the ministry of foreign affairs, noting that it would not be more than a week including his travel time to the United States.

The Adviser said the Chief Adviser wants to come back as quickly as possible by completing his tasks there. Hossain said only those with direct responsibilities at the UNGA will accompany the Chief Adviser.

However, he noted that the exact dates and duration of the visit have not been finalised yet.

On Sunday, the Foreign Affairs Adviser said there might be some meetings on the sidelines, but due to his limited stay in New York, the scope will also be limited.

The 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) will open on Tuesday, 10 September 2024. The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, 24 September 2024.

The Summit of the Future takes place on 22 September and 23 September, 2024. The first of its kind, the Summit will bring together leaders, advocates, and activists of all ages to determine how our international system can better meet the needs of current and future generations.

Speaking on the Chief Adviser’s participation at the 79th UNGA, South Asian affairs expert Michael Kugelman earlier said it will be a big opportunity for him to share his government’s economic plans, including what areas specifically the international community can be helpful in strengthening and stabilising Bangladesh’s economy.

“And if he does, he would be speaking in New York on the biggest global platform since he took over the role of adviser leading the interim government,” Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at Wilson Center in Washington, DC said in a webinar hosted by Right to Freedom - R2F.

Kugelman said there are several things that Prof Yunus could do, several things that he could say.

“I think that above all he should lay out a vision for governance, the goals of the interim government, his plans for reforms and his efforts to push for the restoration of democracy.”