Yunus meets world leaders at UN headquarters
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus held a series of high-level meetings with prominent global leaders on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
Among those he met were the Prime Minister of Australia, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, the former President of Chile, and the current Foreign Minister of Uruguay, according to a post on the Chief Adviser’s official Facebook page on Wednesday.
Professor Yunus briefly exchanged greetings with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following their attendance at the UNGA's inaugural session. Their short conversation touched on key topics, including reforms undertaken by the Interim Government, the upcoming general election in Bangladesh scheduled for February, and the growing Bangladeshi diaspora in Australia.
Yunus reaffirmed his government’s commitment to conducting one of the most transparent and credible elections in the country’s history, set for early February. He expressed hope that international observers would be present to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
Prime Minister Albanese spoke warmly of the Bangladeshi community’s growing contributions in Australia, particularly in his own constituency. He recalled attending a commemoration of Language Martyrs’ Day on February 21 several years ago.
Later, Yunus met with Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who also serves as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. Their discussion focused on expanding access to health insurance globally, particularly in the Global South.
They explored innovations in the financial sector—including life and health insurance, long-term savings, and pension schemes—and emphasized the importance of financial inclusion. Professor Yunus highlighted the urgent need for credit access tailored to maternal healthcare, especially during pregnancy. He proposed using digital health check-ups to connect rural women with top medical professionals, which could save countless lives.
During the meeting, Yunus also called for a restructuring of the global pharmaceutical industry, urging more drug manufacturers to operate as social business enterprises.
“Vaccines produced by social business drug manufacturers will remain affordable,” said Professor Yunus.
The Chief Adviser invited Queen Máxima to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time. Her Royal Highness Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, also joined the meeting.
Yunus also met with Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, discussing a range of shared priorities and recent global health developments.
Later in the day, the Chief Adviser participated in two key events: one on Fashion for Development and another focusing on public-private sector collaboration in social innovation.