Excellency, Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly for the 78th Session
Excellency, Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am honored to stand before you as the President of the General Assembly for its 79th session, and I am humbled and grateful that the Membership has entrusted me with this immense responsibility.
My sincere thanks also go to President Francis, under whose leadership the General Assembly navigated a year filled with great challenges and uncertainty, guided by his watchwords of peace, progress, prosperity, and sustainability.
I express my deep appreciation and gratitude to H. E. Mr. Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon. I accept this distinctive honor as a testament to our shared aspirations for a better world.
Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Our world faces numerous challenges.
Climate change is devastating the planet and endangering countless lives and societies.
Conflicts and armed violence rage on from Sudan to Haiti, from Ukraine to the Gaza Strip, leaving trails of death, destruction and wanton misery worldwide.
Suffering caused by poverty and hunger continues to linger.
Prejudice and hate – often amplified by new digital tools that bring opportunities but also risk – continue to fuel tensions and strife.
The list expands, sowing doubt about our collective capacity to come together for the common good.
Dear Friends,
We must meet these doubts with a clarion call to action, drawing inspiration from the Charter of the United Nations, and the principles of international cooperation.
We must demonstrate that international cooperation remains the most effective tool at our disposal for addressing the profound and borderless issues we confront.
Cooperation among Member States is what allows us to harness our collective resources and ingenuity to realize humanity’s greatest aspirations such as peace, justice, and sustainable development, among them.
The General Assembly, with its near-universal membership of 193 Member States, stands as our most powerful platform to fully seize its promise.
Let us recommit to the 8 billion people in every corner of the world that this august body can and will meet their hopes for a brighter future.
The opportunities to do so are immense – especially amid the revolutions in technology, equipping us with powerful new tools to accelerate progress.
It is up to us to ensure that the benefits of international cooperation are shared regularly and equitably, leaving no one behind.
Excellencies,
As we get ready to seize the opportunities together, allow me to outline the vision that will guide us through my tenure.
The cornerstone of my Presidency will be built on the principles of unity in diversity, fostering an environment where every voice is not only heard but valued.
We will pursue the advancement of peace, ensuring that our efforts towards conflict resolution are both proactive and enduring.
Sustainable development will be a key focus, as we strive to balance equitable economic growth with environmental governance.
And underlying our efforts will be a thorough and uncompromising commitment to human dignity, for everyone, everywhere.
Hailing from a country with more than 250 national languages and two official languages – English and French – I am committed to prioritizing multilingualism in the General Assembly’s work.
I believe that the Assembly mirrors the richness of peoples and nations – and that linguistic diversity is part of our common language of equality, understanding and mutual respect.
The same holds true for gender equality and women’s empowerment – a fundamental expression of our commitment to human dignity and a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
All the data show that when women fully participate, societies win.
Therefore, all my actions and efforts will incorporate a gender perspective and strive to achieve gender equality.
I encourage Member States to not just, likewise, increase the number of women in their delegations to the United Nations, but to also mainstream a gender perspective in their policies and programmes back home.
With these principles, we will pursue priorities extracted from meaningful discussions with Member States, to deliver solutions across the work of the General Assembly.
First, on sustainable economic growth, it is imperative that we explore strategies that foster growth while ensuring sustainability and equity.
This includes championing innovation, supporting green economies, and ensuring that the benefits of economic development are accessible to all nations, large and small.
Second, peace and security will continue to be of paramount importance.
Prioritizing conflict prevention rather than resorting to weapons to settle our differences will help in reducing the current high military expenditures which complicate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
We must invest in all efforts to decrease tensions and instead build trust around the world. The tensions and the continuing deficit of trust are minimizing our common search for the best ways and means to eliminate nuclear weapons on the face of the Earth.
We will, thus, seek to build on effective peace operations and conflict resolution strategies, emphasizing the need for a concerted and unified approach to resolving conflicts and preventing new ones.
This is why, I will urge the Assembly to intensify its determination to prioritize the resolution of conflicts, including the intractable ones in the Gaza Strip, Haiti, and Ukraine, as well as find durable solutions to the situation in the Great Lakes region and elsewhere in Africa.
Third, human rights will remain at the core of our agenda. The General Assembly will continue to advocate for the protection and promotion of human rights, ensuring that the dignity of all individuals is upheld worldwide.
We will also seek to enhance the coordination of humanitarian efforts, ensuring that our response to crises is timely and efficient, and that aid reaches those most in need.
Fourth, the strengthening of international law and justice frameworks will be a key topic of our deliberations in all fields relevant to the work of the Assembly. These discussions will aim to support the creation of safer environments and, crucially, the upholding of international norms.
Lastly, we will address the pervasive challenges of international terrorism, drug and human trafficking and modern slavery. We, indeed, intend to uphold human dignity in all its contours and manifestations.
By enhancing international cooperation and understanding of the underlying causes of these phenomena, we will aim to forge strategies that promote global security and peace.
As President of the General Assembly, I am committed to facilitating these discussions and harnessing our collective will and expertise to deliver significant solutions.
Excellencies,
To keep our focus sharp, we must build upon the momentum of the Summit of the Future and inject new vigor into achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the cornerstone of our mission.
As we work to safeguard the future for people and planet, special attention will be given to Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, which face unique structural weaknesses that hamper their sustainable development.
Additionally, our efforts will concentrate on Africa. We will continue to support Agenda 2063, spearheaded by the African Union, which envisions a transformed continent thriving through sustainable trade and development.
Throughout, I will prioritize initiatives to empower young people, including in Africa, where, by 2035, more young people will enter the work force each year than in the rest of the world.
Excellencies,
Rest assured, I remain committed to carrying out the mandates of this Assembly, with determined focus on the following:
- The Reform of the Security Council
- The Revitalization of the General Assembly
- The Social Summit 2025
- The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development
- The United Nations Conference in support of SDG 14;
- The Fourth High-Level Conference on Communicable Diseases; and
- The implementation of the Pact of the Future to be adopted soon.
Let us advance these priorities with a collaborative spirit, ensuring that the United Nations continues to serve as a beacon of hope and a source of solutions for the global community.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
My commitment to you, and to all peoples represented within the General Assembly, is to hold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in every aspect of my duties.
The oath I took today is not a formality. It is a solemn vow to serve with honesty, impartiality, and an unyielding dedication to the Charter and principles of the United Nations.
It is my earnest hope that through unity, we can innovate and implement strong, inclusive solutions that address the pressing issues facing our global community.
By fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are acknowledged and integrated into our decision-making, we set ourselves up for success.
In pursuing our shared goals, my approach will be collaborative and consultative.
We deeply believe in the power of dialogue and the necessity of listening to all voices, ensuring that every Member State is heard and valued.
To this end, I will work tirelessly to not only fulfill the promise of our aspirations but to exceed them.
The challenges are complex, but with shared commitment and mutual respect, we can overcome them.
Thank you.