Jeddah–Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz flew to New York on Sunday to lead Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, under the directive of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

The 71st session features a rich agenda, including the election of a new president for the General Assembly, a new secretary general for the United Nations, and issues related to refugees and migrants, climate change, international struggles and disputes, as well as sustainable development goals.

Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon lauded Saudi Arabia’s efforts in fighting terrorism.

In comments to the Saudi Press Agency on the sidelines of the General Assembly meetings, U.N. Secretary General Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that Saudi efforts to face terrorism were highly appreciated.

Replying to a question about the impression of the U.N. chief on the Kingdom’s efforts to supporting international counter-terrorism activities, Haq said that Ban appreciates the contributions made by the Kingdom to support U.N. efforts in fighting terrorism, including the funding of the U.N. counter-terrorism center.

In September 2006, the General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution denouncing all kinds of terrorism and announced a comprehensive strategy to fight this phenomenon.

In this context, the U.N. welcomed the idea of late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to establish an international specialized center to combat terrorism. The Kingdom has greatly supported the project until its opening in 2011. It has also offered more than $110 million to fund the center.

Haq said that the U.N. secretary general was hoping that U.N. member states would achieve progress in implementing sustainable development goals.

It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia’s contribution to the U.N. Development Program has reached around $180 million over the last five years.