UN: Konaković attended the opening of the general debate, also spoke with the Assistant Secretary-General

(Patria) - The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, attended the opening of the general debate at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York today.

The debate began with traditional addresses by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and President of the USA Joseph Biden.

In the coming days, high-ranking officials from UN member states will address the UN General Assembly and present their countries' most significant positions.

After the opening of the general debate, Konaković met with the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Development Coordination, Oscar Fernandez-Taranco.

The main topics of discussion were the further development of cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and UN representatives in BiH, the functioning of the UN Secretary-General's Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), and the Sustainable Development Goals and their implementation in BiH.

Konaković informed his interlocutor that the Council of Ministers of BiH has approved an agreement regulating the status of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in BiH, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs will sign the agreement after the legal procedure of approval by the Presidency of BiH is completed.

Konaković emphasized that in BiH, after joining the Peacebuilding Fund, a Steering Committee has been formed to decide on and oversee the implementation of PBF programs in BiH, co-chaired by the Minister and the UN Resident Coordinator in BiH.

The activation of the Steering Committee is significant for BiH not only because of the financing of projects implemented in our country but also because it is one of the key conditions for opening accession negotiations for BiH to the EU, which was recognized in the report of the President of the European Commission to the European Council.

Six projects have been approved for BiH, with a total value of over 15 million dollars, and their implementation is planned until 2026.

Konaković stated that BiH successfully prepared and presented its Voluntary National Review of Sustainable Development Goals in July last year, and in cooperation with the UN in BiH, activities have already begun on developing the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework in BiH for the period from 2026 to 2030.

The entire process is coordinated by the Council for Sustainable Development Goals in BiH, co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, with the aim of aligning the goals with BiH's priorities.