NATO Secretary General attends United Nations General Assembly
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attended the opening of the annual General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday (20 September 2016). This year’s debate focuses on the Sustainable Development Goals – an important step towards addressing the root causes of instability and conflict, such as poverty and inequality.
The Alliance is playing its part in tackling global security challenges together with the United Nations. In 2015, NATO pledged enhanced support to UN peace operations. Over the past year, NATO experts have supported the United Nations in better preparing peacekeepers for the challenges they face in the field. NATO and the UN have improved training to counter roadside bombs and the Alliance has helped the UN to develop enhanced training for its field headquarters. NATO will continue to work closely with the UN Secretariat to provide effective and tailored support in this field.
On Wednesday, the Secretary General is scheduled to meet with several high-level officials in the margins of the UNGA, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Mr. Stoltenberg will also hold talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.