Shettima Will Lead Nigeria’s Delegation To 79th UN Assembly – Presidency

President Bola Tinubu will not be attending the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79) session in New York this year.

Consequently, the President has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual summit.

UNGA 79 will open on Tuesday, 10 September 2024. However, the first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, 24 September 2024 and continues through Saturday, 28 September, to conclude on Monday, 30 September 2024.

A statement from the Presidency stated that President Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trip to China and the United Kingdom, took the decision based on his resolve to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who signed the statement, said; “At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings.”

The high-level General Debate has the theme; “Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations”.

Importantly, the UN General Assembly will on 26 September 2024 convene a High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) with the theme; “Investing in the present and securing our future together: Accelerating multi-sectoral global, regional and national actions to address Antimicrobial Resistance.”

In October 2023, Malta and Barbados were appointed as the official co-facilitators of the meeting which is a critical opportunity for political leaders to commit to clear, new targets and practical steps to address AMR.

In February 2024, the co-facilitators, collaborating with the Quadripartite (WHO, FAO, UNEP and WOAH) and the Global Leaders Group, presented options for the scope, modalities and format of the AMR High-Level Meeting.

The last High-level meeting held by the General Assembly took place in 2016 and was a major milestone for increased political action, research, and private public partnerships in the effort to tackle AMR.