Following his arrival in New York, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati is set to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today, and hold bilateral meetings with representatives of international organizations and financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Mikati will participate in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development under the auspices of the General Assembly (SDG Forum), which convenes today on the eve of the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York. Deputy Inaya Ezzeddine will join the official Lebanese delegation at this forum in her capacity as the head of the Parliamentary Committee on Women and Children. Mikati will also deliver a national statement during the forum, addressing what Lebanon has achieved so far in the area of sustainable development, and outlining the obstacles preventing it from reaching the desired goals in this area as stipulated in the 17 objectives of the 2030 Development Agenda. Additionally, the UN General Assembly will hold three high-level meetings on health during its 78th session (UNGA 78) in New York, which will include:
- Preventing epidemics. Enhancing preparedness. Response capacity.
- Universal health coverage.
- Combating tuberculosis.
These meetings are part of a mid-term review towards achieving sustainable development goals, with the world still far from being on track to meet health objectives by 2030. A group of health ministers from various participating countries is expected to attend these meetings, noting that the previous year's focus was on education issues.
