Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara left for New York on Sunday to participate in the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He is accompanied on the trip by some senior officials of the ministry.

But leading the Nepali delegation to the UNGA will Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba who leaves for New York on Tuesday after celebrating the Constitution Day. PM Deuba’s major diplomatic agenda while attending the 72nd UNGA will be to garner support for Nepal’s bid for securing a seat at the UN Human Rights Council for the 2018-20 term.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DPM Mahara will head a foreign ministerial level meeting of the Saarc Council of Ministers and attend a meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue in New York.

Mahara will also be part of other engagements on the sidelines of the UNGA, including ministerial level meetings of Landlocked Least Developed Countries, Non-Aligned Movement, G-77, South-South Cooperation, UN Peacekeeping Operations and will sign the Treaty on Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons.

The DPM will attend the reception hosted by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday and will join the luncheon hosted by the UN Secretary General later in the afternoon.

PM Deuba will address the UN General Assembly on Saturday, followed a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, the PM is set to meet President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday. Deuba will also address the Columbia University’s World Leaders Forum on Thursday.

On Friday, he will have a bilateral meeting with President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid, followed by an address to the Americas-based heads of Nepali Diplomatic missions.

Deuba will attend the National Day reception to be hosted by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York on  Friday  as the Chief Guest. Similarly, the Prime Minister will attend the National Day programme being organized by the Consulate General of Nepal in New York on Saturday.

On Sunday, Deuba will leave New York for Muscat, Oman where he is scheduled to address Heads of Nepali Diplomatic Missions based in the Middle East and provide direction on matters relating to promoting and protecting interest of Nepal and Nepali migrants in the region. Minister for Labour and Employment Farmullah Mansur will join the delegation in Muscat.

The Nepali delegation to the 72nd UNGA comprises, among others, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Asha Koirala; PM’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Dinesh Bhattarai; Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi; Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations in New York Durga Prasad Bhattarai.