PRIME Minister Jeremiah Manele has announced that six Cabinet Ministers and ten government officials will be representing the country at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York, United States.
He made the announcement at a press conference in the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) last Saturday.
PM Manele said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Peter Shanel Agovaka will be heading the delegation as he will not be attending the world summit due to pressing agendas to attend to domestically.
He said the delegation is due to depart the country on Friday September 27. However, Solomon Star understands that the Minister for National Planning and Development Coordination, Rexon Ramofafia, who is one of the six Cabinet Ministers left yesterday.
The PM said as the head of the Solomon Islands delegation, Minister Agovaka will deliver Solomon Islands National Statement at the UNGA on Friday 27 September.
The other four of the Cabinet Ministers as announced by PM Manele are the Minister for Health and Medical Services (MHMS), Dr Paul Popora Bosawai, Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), Trevor Mahaga, Minister for Traditional Governance, Peace and Ecclesiastical Affairs (MTGPEA), Jamie Vokia and Minister for Public Service (MPS), John Tuhaika Jr.
He said apart from the UNGA session itself, the delegation will engage in parallel high level-meetings, which are in the best interest of Solomon Islands development agendas. The high-level meetings include:
- The Summit of the Future at which Solomon Islands participation will be jointly led by the MFAET Minister and MNPDC. The latter will deliver the national statement;
- The Association of Small Island States (AOSIS) summit USS in which Solomon Islands participation will be led by the MFAET and MNPDC Ministers;
- The Commonwealth Foreign Ministers meeting which normally takes place at the margins of the UNGA. The MFAET Minister will also lead Solomon Islands participation in the meeting;
- The High-Level Meeting on the Threats of Sea Level Rise at which Solomon Islands participation will be led by the MCDEM Minister;
- The High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) at which Solomon Islands participation will be led by the MHMS Minister;
- The High-Level Plenary Meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons at which Solomon Islands participation will be led by the MFAET Minister;
- The G7 Plus High-Level Summit at which Solomon Islands participation will be led by the MTGPEA Minister;
- The Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) Ministerial Meeting at which MNPDC Minister will lead Solomon Islands participation;
PM Manele said further to these high-level engagements, the Solomon Islands delegation will also engage in number of bilateral meetings as a good number of the heads of states, heads of governments and Foreign Ministers will attend the UNGA and this is a sterling opportunity for bilaterial dialogues can also see the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for cooperation in various sectors.
By IAN LADDS OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara
