UNITED NATIONS, Sept 24, 2024 (BSS/TASS) - The high-level week of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly begins in New York with the participation of more than 130 heads of state and over 100 foreign ministers. For five days, they will discuss issues of conflict prevention and resolution, combating the effects of climate change, socio-economic development, and other global issues of our time.

In the coming week, representatives of 193 UN member states, the Vatican and Palestine, which have observer status in the world body, as well as the European Union will take turns at the General Assembly podium. The UN Secretariat told TASS that 76 heads of state and 42 heads of government are expected to participate in the forum.

Beginning of general debate

The general debate of the 79th session of the General Assembly will begin with speeches by UN Secretary General Antúnio Guterres and the chairman of the 79th session, Philemon Yang. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be the first world leader to take the floor, honoring a long-standing tradition.

The Brazilian president will be followed by US leader Joe Biden. US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris does not plan to participate in the high-level week in New York.

A total of 34 speakers are scheduled to speak on the first day of the debate. On the second day, 40 heads of state will speak.

The Russian delegation at the high-level week is headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He is scheduled to speak on September 28. The top Russian diplomat will also participate in a number of high-level multilateral meetings, including events within the CSTO, BRICS, G20, and the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter.

Shifting focus from Ukraine to Gaza

While the conflict in Ukraine was the main topic of last year's general debate, this year's discussions are expected to focus more on Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, the rising Palestinian death toll, and the deteriorating situation on the Lebanon-Israel border.

The General Assembly meetings, which will run from 9:00 a.m. local time (1:00 p.m. GMT) until the evening, will be accompanied by a number of events. According to the UN Secretariat, hundreds of meetings and bilateral meetings will be held at the world body's headquarters during the week.

Many bilateral meetings, including Lavrov's, will take place on the sidelines of the General Assembly.