During the inauguration of the new mandate, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, called on Tuesday for building trust, cohesion and solidarity among member states.
He stressed the need for all of us to commit to using this Assembly as a testbed for multilateralism and ensure that we shape solutions that will benefit people and communities around the world.
Mohammed noted that the General Assembly represents “our common humanity” and “our common commitment” to peace, sustainable development and human rights.
For his part, the President of the 78th Session, Denis Francis, recognized four main priorities for his mandate: peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability.
In his first words in office, the representative of Trinidad and Tobago warned of the complex challenges facing the world, such as climate change, conflict and poverty.
These have made peace more difficult to achieve, while geopolitical divisions have generated suspicions toward multilateral systems.
He added: “As the principal policy-making body of the United Nations, the General Assembly bears a special responsibility to ensure that our efforts are anchored in a strong multilateral system, faithful to the cherished values and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.”
In the same vein, outgoing President, Xaba Korosi, urged countries to work together for a sustainable future.
“Our survival depends on our cooperation,” he stressed, pointing to global obstacles such as accelerating climate change, loss of biodiversity, education, and gender inequality.
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