It has now become a tradition that, come the third Tuesday of the month of September, a high-level delegation led by the Prime Minister flies to New York to attend the opening plenary of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

This is a must for the promotion of Malta’s values and foreign policy priorities and objectives. It provides a unique opportunity for the Prime Minister to address this assembly of world leaders, to express Malta’s concerns about major global issues and to insist on better international cooperation for dealing with them.

Moreover, the Prime Minister’s presence in New York will be pivotal for the promotion of Malta as a secure and stable country with a state-of-the- art infrastructure for welcoming foreign direct investment, tourism and trade.

This will be the fifth consecutive year that Joseph Muscat will participate in the general debate of UNGA, which begins on September 19. A lot of political weight is given to addresses by heads of government at the opening of an UNGA session. As on previous occasions, the Prime Minister will undoubtedly rise to the occasion.

Every UNGA session takes place in the midst of one or two international crises – such unfortunately is the world’s plight. This year’s session will be no exception, considering the precarious security environment in which we live, and the widespread national and international conflicts. The focus will be on the Middle East, the Korean peninsula, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, to mention just a few of the many areas of conflict in urgent need of UNGA’s attention.

This year’s session will have some added colour, and may well lead to new directions on the roadmap for future international cooperation. President Trump will address UNGA for the first time and there is much apprehension among other world leaders and international institutions about the extent to which his election rallying call of “America first” will interfere with attempts by the UN to tackle global issues like climate change and sustainable development.

Will the current political momentum for the implementation of the UN’s Agenda 2030 and for achieving the sustainable development goals, as well as the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate, be further derailed by some uncompromising and populist speech on the part of Trump?

There is also much anxiety about the upcoming speeches by President Putin and President Xi Jinping, particularly whether they will announce more readiness to engage with other important stakeholders for the resolution of the current crises in the Middle East, North Korea, sub-Saharan Africa, and elsewhere?

At the core of the Labour government’s beliefs are social mobility, social justice based on equality, and environmental justice

This year’s UNGA will also be the first to be attended by the newly elected Secretary General Antonio Guterres, former Portuguese prime minister and UN High Commissioner for Refugees. His 10-year tenure as the highest UN authority for dealing with refugee and migration crises that climaxed during the last decade, led the Secretary General to emphasis the UN’s role as an international actor for the maintenance of peace and the prevention of military conflicts.

Moreover, his programme seeks to refocus the UN’s role as the world’s agency for the provision of basic human needs. Many are looking forward to see what impact the experience and determination of the new Secretary General will have on the agenda and outcome of this year’s UNGA.

I was particularly struck by the similarities between the stated objectives of the 72nd UNGA session and the values and principles that drive our government.

In the introduction to the manifesto for the June elections, the Prime Minister stressed how four guiding values and principles determined the character of the Labour government, and were driving it forward to achieve the well-being and unity of the Maltese nation.

At the core of the Labour government’s beliefs are social mobility, social justice based on equality, and environmental justice. The commitments of the government’s programme for our nation can similarly be summed up under the same theme adopted for this year’s UNGA: “Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet.”

Moreover, Malta, as a member of the EU, has a commitment to defend and promote the union’s core values and interest at the upcoming UNGA session. The EU’s priorities and position for the UNGA session were adopted by foreign ministers during a meeting on July 17.

These can be grouped in three clusters: aiming at stronger global governance; striving for peace and conflict prevention; and the implementation of measures for social cohesion and sustainable economic development. In many respects the EU’s priorities in substance coincide with those of Malta.

During the upcoming discussions at UNGA, it would be natural for the Prime Minister to support the overarching objectives of UNGA, and more particularly the priorities of the EU.

Meeting the demands of ordinary people through social and environmental justice is a common target for UNGA, the EU and Malta.

The Prime Minister will focus on these objectives and priorities not out of political expediency but out of a heart-felt belief and deeply rooted conviction that a secure future for Malta and for the international community lies in this direction.

Edward Zammit Lewis is chairman of the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Foreign and European Affairs.