UNITED NATIONS TO STRENTHEN BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH NIGERIA, AS ESPINOSA GARCES ARRIVES MONDAY

The Assembly President during her mission, will discuss the priorities of the General Assembly as related to women and youth empowerment; raise awareness and encourage understanding of the importance of multilateralism and the United Nations (UN); as well as raise further international awareness on the Lake Chad Basin and efforts of Nigeria to promote sustainable development, peace and security in the region; among others.

Penpushing further reports that, Her Excellency, while in Nigeria will have bilateral meetings with President Muhammadu Buhari, and Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and will also engage with Students and Youth on the theme: “Responding to Global Challenges in a fast-Changing World: The Case for Strengthening Multilateralism”; as well as discuss with a women audience on the theme: “The Role of Women in the Promotion of Multilateralism”.

The President of the United Nation General Assembly is scheduled to also meet with the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Abubakar. It is on record that, the visit to Nigeria will be her second official visit to the African region since taking over the presidency.

Penpushing recalled that the United Nations General Assembly on June 5,2018 elected María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, as President of its 73rd session;  the fourth woman to hold that position in the history of the world body, and the first since 2006.

The World body President has more than 20 years of multilateral experience in international negotiations, peace, security, defence, disarmament, human rights, indigenous peoples, gender equality, sustainable development, environment, biodiversity, climate change and multilateral cooperation.

Penpushing also reports that, she studies from Rutgers University, and has served Ecuador as Minister of Foreign Affairs (twice), Minister of National Defence, and Coordinating Minister of Natural and Cultural Heritage, and in 2008, she was the first woman to become Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in New York.

The Assembly President before beginning her political and diplomatic career, was Associate Professor and Researcher at the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales Sede Ecuado, and has written over 30 academic articles about the Amazon region, culture, heritage, sustainable development, climate change, intellectual property, foreign policy, regional integration, defence and security.