UN General Assembly: Pope Francis, Buhari, World Leaders Meet in New York
Catholic Pontiff, His Holiness, Pope Francis 1
- Migration, SDGs, inequality to top agenda
By Paul Obi in New York

The Catholic Pontiff, His Holiness, Pope Francis 1, President Muhammadu Buhari are among top world leaders meeting in New York ahead of the commencement of 70th United Nations (UN) General Assembly tomorrow.
The Pope who is on a six-day US visit is expected to address world leaders including the Nigerian president on Friday morning, where he is expected to speak on several issues among which are poverty and income inequality around the world.
The Pope who is on a six-day US visit is expected to address world leaders including the Nigerian president on Friday morning, where he is expected to speak on several issues among which are poverty and income inequality around the world.
Since the assumption of his papacy two years ago, Pope Francis has continued to waged a war against wrong - headed form of capitalism, calling it the ‘devil dung’.
According to UN officials, “Pope Francis will address the United Nations General Assembly. His Holiness will also have bilateral meetings with the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly and will participate in a town hall gathering with United Nations staff.”
Also, UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon said: “He is optimistic that is His Holiness “visit will inspire the international community to redouble its efforts to achieve human dignity for all through ensuring greater social justice, tolerance and understanding among all of the world.”
The Catholic Pontiff will also draw the attention of rich nations to the excruciating income inequality and gap, pressing home his message for the rich to do more while goverments and the UN should take the lead.
On the agenda, the debate on post-2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) transition and the launch of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be the main agenda of the 70th session.
This will usher in the 17 SDGs, an increase of nine additional goals to the former 8 MDGs.
The summit will also look at the migration crisis bedevilling Europe, where Syrians, Afgans and some Africans are running from armed conflicts to Europe for a better life.
In that light, President Buhari is expected to address the UN 70th General Assembly on Monday, September 28, 2015 on issues such as terrorism and global crime, especially financial crimes.
The president is to make a case against financial crimes and the need to curb international fraud, where millions of dollars of Nigeria’s public funds have been linked to.
President Buhari is also to meet with other world leaders at the UN conference for bilateral meetings geared towards finetuning and unveiling his government economic agenda at the global stage.
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