United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday for a visit that includes meetings with top government officials and inspections of crucial UN and disaster response facilities.
During his stay in Islamabad, Guterres will hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and President Asif Ali Zardari. He plans to depart for New York on Thursday.
In a significant development, the UN chief will visit the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to assess Pakistan’s disaster preparedness and response mechanisms, particularly in light of the severe floods that affected the country in 2022.
Guterres last visited Pakistan in 2022, touring flood-impacted regions and urging increased international support for the nation’s recovery and rehabilitation efforts.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General is also scheduled to visit the headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) located in Islamabad. This UN mission monitors developments along the Line of Control and reports on the situation between India and Pakistan.
Notably, the visit will include discussions on Pakistan’s diplomatic role in mediating between the United States and Iran. Guterres and Pakistani officials are expected to deliberate on Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate dialogue and support diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
Born in Lisbon in 1949, Guterres studied engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico. He served as Portugal’s prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and was active in international efforts to resolve the East Timor crisis.
Before becoming UN Secretary-General, he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. He assumed office as the United Nations’ ninth Secretary-General on January 1, 2017.
Guterres began his political career in 1976 when elected to Portugal’s parliament, serving for 17 years. Between 1981 and 1983, he was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, chairing committees focused on population, migration, and refugees.
He was also associated with the Socialist International, serving as vice president from 1992 to 1999 and president from 1999 until mid-2005. Early in his career, Guterres engaged in social development projects in Lisbon’s impoverished areas and helped establish the Portuguese Refugee Council and the Portuguese Consumers’ Association, DECO.
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