Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman has joined an informal interactive dialogue as part of the election process for the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

President of the 80th session of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock convened the informal interactive dialogues with candidates for the presidency of the 81st UN session on Wednesday, which was broadcast live on UN WebTV.

Under Resolution 71/323 titled “Revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly,” the Assembly requires candidates for the position of President of the General Assembly to present their vision statements and engage in informal dialogues with member states to ensure greater transparency and inclusivity in the election process.

Civil society organisations and individuals also participated in the dialogue by submitting questions to the candidates both in person and through video messages.

Dr Rahman, a candidate from the Asia-Pacific Group, has over 30 years of experience with the United Nations, serving both as Bangladesh’s representative to the General Assembly and as a senior official at the UN Secretariat in New York City and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva.

In his vision statement, he said the world now needs a more effective and responsive multilateralism capable of restoring trust among member states and delivering tangible benefits for all.

The election for the presidency of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly will be held on June 2 at UN headquarters in New York.

In line with the established regional rotation, the president of the 81st session will be elected from the Asia-Pacific Group. Following the withdrawal of the Palestinian candidature, Bangladesh will now compete with Cyprus for the post.