MASERU, Lesotho, September 19 — Lesotho’s King Letsie III and Prime Minister Ntsokoane Matekane are travelling to New York as the United Nations General Assembly brings global leaders together for high level discussions on international cooperation, digital transformation and emerging technologies.
The two Lesotho leaders are expected to take part in the diplomatic programme surrounding the General Assembly, placing the Kingdom’s Head of State and Head of Government at the centre of a week of international engagements in the United States.
Government spokesperson Boitelo Rabele confirmed that Prime Minister Matekane is scheduled to leave Lesotho on Saturday.
This year’s UN programme comes as governments face growing questions about artificial intelligence, digital transformation, data governance and the development of international rules for emerging technologies.
For Lesotho, the discussions have particular relevance as the country continues to incorporate digital transformation into its development agenda.
The government has been working on areas including digital identification, data governance and artificial intelligence policy, while seeking to strengthen its participation in international discussions on technology and development.
Matekane is also scheduled to participate in UN Digital Cooperation Day, which will bring governments and other stakeholders into discussions on how rapidly developing technologies can be managed while ensuring that digital systems support inclusive development.
King Letsie III’s participation brings a separate dimension to Lesotho’s international engagement. As Head of State, the King holds a constitutional and symbolic role, while the Prime Minister leads the government.
Their presence in New York therefore places Lesotho’s two highest profile national leaders within the wider diplomatic programme surrounding the UN General Assembly.
The New York engagements also follow Lesotho’s recent participation in international discussions on artificial intelligence governance.
In July, Lesotho took part in the UN Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance in Geneva, where countries discussed approaches to governing the development and use of emerging artificial intelligence technologies.
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