United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will meet India's top leadership and Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi when he visits the country later this week, his spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Ban will visit Gujarat and New Delhi from January 10 to 13 and address leaders and policymakers at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.
Ban is scheduled to meet President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other key Indian leaders during the visit, his fourth trip to India as the UN Secretary-General, Ban's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at his daily press briefing.
During the visit, he will also meet Satyarthi, who shared the 2014 Nobel peace prize with Pakistani girls' rights activist Malala Yousafzai.
Following the announcement of the Nobel prize to the Indian-Pakistani duo in October last year, Ban had said that the two are the world's greatest champions for children rights.
Ban had said that Satyarthi has been at the forefront of a worldwide movement for justice, global education and a better life for millions of children trapped in exploitative child labour.
"Thanks in large measure to Satyarthi's heroic work, the world has moved from denial about abusive child labour to acknowledgement, awareness and action. He has successfully brought together the key elements for success in the fight against the worst forms of child labour -- moral outrage, personal commitment, and societal engagement," Ban had said acknowledging Satyarthi's regular presence at the UN.
Ban will travel to Ahmedabad on January 10 and will deliver a keynote speech at the Inaugural Session of the 7th Vibrant Gujarat Summit on January 11.
"Addressing world leaders, policy makers, and representatives from the business community and academia, the Secretary-General will stress the need to promote inclusive and sustainable development in India," Dujarric said.
While in Gujarat, the Secretary-General is also expected to visit Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram and he will also visit a solar power plant to see for himself the efforts India is putting in promoting sustainable development.
On January 12, Ban is expected to deliver the 13th Sapru House Lecture, organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs.
He would conclude his visit to India on January 13, following his meetings with UN staff and heads of UN agencies working in India.
