United Nations General Assembly Leaders' Week

Media release

20 September 2013

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will lead Australia's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York from 22 to 27 September for Leaders' Week.

Leaders' Week is the single largest gathering of world leaders and ministers. It is a valuable opportunity to strengthen relationships with key partners and address significant global challenges.

With Australia as President of the United Nations Security Council for the month of September, Ms Bishop will chair a Security Council debate on small arms and light weapons. Australia is seeking a strong outcome to address threats to international peace and security posed by the illicit transfer and misuse of these weapons.

In line with the Government's commitment to strengthen ties within the Indian-Ocean Asia-Pacific region, Ms Bishop will meet key regional counterparts, including Indonesia's Foreign Minister Natalegawa and Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Pato.

Ms Bishop will also host a high-level event to promote entry into force of the recently adopted Arms Trade Treaty, which for the first time establishes a global system for regulating the international conventional arms trade.

The Foreign Minister will discuss the situation in Syria throughout a series of high level meetings during the week. She will also use several of the debates to advocate for the prevention of sexual violence in conflict, and to promote the Millennium Development Goals and the post-2015 development agenda.

Ms Bishop will also chair a meeting of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers in New York to develop initiatives for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November 2013.