Angolan President João Lourenço travelled to New York to participate in the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he is scheduled to address world leaders on Tuesday, 22 September, according to a statement from the Angolan presidency.
Lourenço departed Luanda in the early hours of Sunday bound for the United States, where he is taking part in the annual session of the United Nations, the presidency confirmed.
This year’s General Assembly, which brings together representatives of all 193 UN member states, is being held under the theme ‘Restoring Trust, Reinventing Solidarity: Together for Peace, Sustainable Development and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations.’ The session is also expected to be shaped by the succession process for current UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose mandate expires on 31 December.
According to the Angolan presidency, the centrepiece of the head of state’s mission is his address to the UN General Debate. ‘As happens every year, President João Lourenço will make use of his stay in New York for several days to fulfil an intense diplomatic agenda on the sidelines of the General Assembly,’ the statement added.
The Angolan delegation is expected to hold meetings ‘at different moments with influential figures in politics, economics, science and all areas relevant to the progress of a nation like Angola, engaged in a consistent transformation programme spanning multiple areas and fronts,’ the presidency said.
The delegation also includes Foreign Minister Téte António, who travelled to New York on Saturday and is expected to support Angola’s diplomatic activities, contributing to the formulation and presentation of Angola’s positions.
Angola’s participation in the General Assembly ‘constitutes an opportunity to reaffirm the country’s commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, dialogue, international peace and security, cooperation among states and the promotion of sustainable development,’ the foreign ministry said.
The delegation further includes senior officials from the central state apparatus, as well as officials and staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who will accompany the General Assembly proceedings and the diplomatic contacts planned on the sidelines of the session.
The agenda ‘is expected to include bilateral and multilateral contacts and meetings with representatives of different states and international organisations,’ in the framework of strengthening relations of friendship, cooperation and solidarity between Angola and its partners.
During the visit, Angola is also set to champion the candidacy of diplomat Josefa Sacko for the post of Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Currently Angola’s Ambassador to Italy and Permanent Representative to the UN agencies based in Rome — including the FAO, IFAD and WFP — Josefa Sacko is a member of the Executive Board of the World Food Programme, where she serves as coordinator of List A on behalf of the African Group.
Sacko is standing for the FAO Director-General post under the campaign motto ‘FAO for a New Era from Knowledge to Implementation | From Projects to Systems | From Rome to Countries.’ The diplomat brings a career spanning more than 30 years in agronomy, economics and diplomacy.
A recipient of multiple distinctions, the Angolan candidate has overseen and coordinated initiatives related to the Great Green Wall, the development of Africa’s Digital Agriculture Strategy, and the formulation of policies in the areas of food systems, biodiversity and climate change adaptation.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/21/mundo/onu-joao-lourenco-discursa-na-81-a-sessao-da-assembleia-geral-das-nacoes-unidas/
