Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday joined here a welcome reception with heads of delegation representing various countries at the UN General Assembly hosted by Secretary General António Guterres at the UN headquarters.

World leaders gathered here to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, "Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations".

This is Prof Yunus' first visit to the United States as head of the Bangladesh government to attend the 79th UNGA and also first visit abroad since the formation of the interim government on August 8.

He earlier attended the inaugural session of the 79th UNGA.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith, Principal Coordinator (SDGs Affairs) Lamiya Morshed, Additional Foreign Secretary Riaz Hamidullah accompanied the chief adviser.

Chief Adviser Prof Yunus met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and discussed means to augment Bangladesh- Canada ties to deepen freedom, build institutions, and support youth in Bangladesh.

He handed over the Art of Triumph, an art book on the wall paintings of the Bangladeshi students and young people painted during and just after the revolution, to Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, at the UN headquarters in New York.

President of Mauritius Prithvirajsingh Roopun, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk and World Bank President Ajay Banga, among others, exchanged greetings with Prof Yunus at the UN headquarters.

The chief adviser is scheduled to leave New York for Dhaka on September 27 night (US time). He is expected to reach Dhaka on September 29 by a commercial flight.

The general debate of the 79th session of the General Assembly began on Tuesday, 24 September, and it will continue through Saturday, 28 September, and conclude on Monday, 30 September 2024.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain spoke at the Summit of the Future.

The Summit of the Future offered a once-in-a-generation opportunity for change and a chance to commit to bold new solutions.

It provided an opportunity to create international mechanisms that better reflect the realities of the 21st century and can respond to today's and tomorrow's challenges and opportunities.

As part of the global community, Bangladesh has a role in setting a better course for the world, he said.

By working together, "we can achieve a safer, more peaceful, just, equal, inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous future."

The General Assembly started the meeting by adopting the Pact for the Future Resolution with annexes Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations.