Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need for global collective action to deal with climate change during his interaction with world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

“In my interactions with the world leaders on the sidelines of UNGA session, I apprised them of the flood disaster and highlighted the need for a collective action to deal with climate change,” the PM tweeted on Wednesday.

“I also told them that Pakistan is keen to build partnerships in the realms of trade and economy.”

On Tuesday, PM Shehbaz attended the opening of the UNGA's 77th Session held at the UN headquarters in New York.

His remarks come as floods affect nearly 33 million people in Pakistan, sweeping away homes, crops, bridges, roads and livestock in damages estimated at $30 billion.

PM to narrate the story of flood-hit Pakistan

Meanwhile, at UNGA, PM Shehbaz held bilateral meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Karl Nehammer and President of Spain Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon.

Later on Wednesday, he is scheduled to meet Managing Director of International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, President of World Bank David Malpass and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The PM will attend a dinner reception to be hosted by US President Joe Biden and host a luncheon reception himself in honor of the Turkish president and his spouse.

Meetings with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Chinese President Premier Li Keqiang, and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida are also part of the prime minister’s engagements.

On September 23, the prime minister will address the UNGA session and interact with prominent American media outlets.

The premier is being accompanied by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, as well as other senior officials.