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Add to Preferred SourcesThe new President of the 74th session of the General Assembly brings to his role “years of United Nations experience”, the UN chief said as Tijjani Muhammad-Bande banged the gavel to open his year in office.
“He also brings valuable insights into some of the pressing peace and security, human rights and sustainable development challenges facing this body, from the spread of violent extremism to the threat of the global climate crisis”, Secretary-General António Guterres said of Nigeria’s former UN Representative.
He commended President Muhammad-Bande on prioritizing peace and security, poverty eradication, zero hunger, quality education, climate action and inclusion, all of which the UN chief called “central to the sustainable development agenda”.
Pointing to the “five critical summits” next week on climate action, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), financing for development, universal health care and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Mr. Guterres underscored that “multi-stakeholder engagement will be essential”.
Noting that in today’s rapidly changing word, “challenges are global and increasingly interlinked”, the Secretary-General noted that the Organization would be celebrating its 75th birthday. And because people have “profound” expectations of the UN, Mr. Guterres, expressed his concern over the “trust deficit between nations”, maintaining that there is a pressing need to convince people that it is “relevant to all and that multilateralism offers real solutions to global challenges”.
“Transparency, dialogue and greater understanding are essential to alleviating mistrust”, he spelled out, calling the Assembly “a unique and indispensable forum” for the world to come together and discuss “sensitive and important issues”.
In his inaugural address as General Assembly President, or PGA, Mr. Muhammad-Bande said he would “collaborate and coordinate” with the Security Council, and the Secretariat “to ensure that greater attention is paid to prevention rather than reaction to full-blown conflict.”
“I will also advocate for effective early detection and warning systems, as well as mediation, negotiation and peaceful settlement of ongoing conflicts”, he promised. “I will work to engender cooperation that will address drivers of conflicts such as poverty, exclusion and illiteracy”.
Original source: UN News
Published on 17 September 2019