UN Chief Antonio Guterres to Arrive For 3-Day Trip to India Tomorrow; Here’s What’s on the Agenda

United Nations (UN) secretary general Antonio Guterres is set to arrive in India for a three-day visit starting Tuesday. This will be UN Secretary General’s first visit to India since he began his second term in January. He had earlier visited the country in October 2018 during his first term at the top office.

Guterres would commence his visit to India by paying tributes to the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. The Taj Mahal Palace hotel was one of the targets of the horrific 26/11 terror attacks nearly 14 years ago.

Agenda of Guterres’ Visit to India

• According to MEA, the UN secretary-general will deliver a public address at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai on the subject — “India @75: UN-India Partnership: Strengthening South-South Cooperation.”
• External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar would hold bilateral discussions with Guterres on issues of global concern, and steps to deepen India’s engagement with the UN, including through India’s upcoming Presidency of the G20 and reformed multilateralism, the MEA said.
• Guterres will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the launch of the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) booklet, logo and tagline in Kevadiya on October 20.It may be recollected that the concept of LiFE was introduced by PM during COP26 at Glasgow in November 2021. PM had then urged the global community of individuals and institutions to drive LiFE as an international mass movement towards “mindful and deliberate utilisation, instead of mindless and destructive consumption” to protect and preserve the environment.
• “Mission LiFE will be India’s signature initiative at the United Nations and other international platforms for showcasing climate action and early achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,” the MEA said.“Its central idea reflects India’s ethos of respect for mother nature and aims at piloting a focused programme that will mobilise one billion (100 crore) Indians to become pro-planet people (3P), who would practise simple environment and climate-friendly behaviour and actions in their daily lives to promote a shared commitment to protect our planet,” it added.
• In Kevadiya, Guterres is also expected to pay floral tributes at the Statue of Unity, the MEA said, adding that he will also visit the country’s first solar-powered village in Modhera (Gujarat) and other development projects in the area.
• The UN secretary general will also visit the Sun temple in Modhera, before departing for his onward destination, according to the MEA.

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