Priorities

Declaring that the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly would be an “action-oriented” one, Assembly President Julian Robert Hunte (Saint Lucia) urged delegations to act quickly, decisively and with cooperation to tackle problems requiring urgent solutions, such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the situation in Iraq and ongoing unrest in the Middle East.

“The people of the world looked to the United Nations for hope in implementing solutions to their problems”, said President Hunte, opening the Assembly’s new session this afternoon. The Assembly, he hoped, was ready to break new ground. “However, this would require choosing principle over expediency, precision over ambiguity, objectivity over bias, creative thinking over inflexibility and, above all, action over inaction”, he said.

Today, the United Nations found itself at a critical juncture, challenged by an extraordinary set of circumstances and the magnitude of new and existing problems, he said. What then should the Organization do?

“We must actively pursue the benefits of multilateralism”, he said, adding that “we must reaffirm the central role of the United Nations ... and reassert the authority of the General Assembly as the sole universal organ charged under the Charter with important supervisory and policy-making responsibilities.”

Priorities of the 58th Session of the General Assembly

• Development
• United Nations Reform and Strengthening
• Peace and Security

Statements and Messages

September 2004

• Statement at the Closing of the Fifty-Eighth Session of the United Nations General Assembly (13 September 2004)
• Statement at the Fifty-Seventh Annual Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) - Millennium Development Goals: Civil Society takes action (8 September 2004)
• Statement at a presentation on Trade and Development Issues by Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz at the Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD) (2 September 2004)

August 2004

• Statement on the observance of the first anniversary of the Baghdad tragedy (19 August 2004)
• Statement on the Commemoration of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples (9 August 2004)

July 2004

• Statement following the adoption of draft resolution A/58/L.66 - Further measures for the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (1 July 2004)

June 2004

• Statement on the occassion of United Nations Public Service Day Ceremony (23 June 2004)
• Statement on the occasion of United Nations Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay Event (19 June 2004)
• Statement to the London School of Economics and the UN Foundation Symposium on Reform of the United Nations (18 June 2004)
• Statement at UNCTAD XI (13 June 2004)
• Statement on the occasion of the Election of the President of the 59th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (10 June 2004)
• Statement at the European Forum Wachau - The European Union in a Global Context (5 June 2004)
• Statement to the Vienna Global Agenda Forum (2 June 2004)
• Statement to the Press Corps Vienna International Centre (2 June 2004)
• Statement on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Forty Seventh Session (2 June 2004)

May 2004

• Statement at talks with the Masters Programme Students (25 May 2004)
• Statement at the Third Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (21 May 2004)

April 2004

• Statement on the Status of Preparations for UNCTAD XI (27 April 2004)
• Statement at the Commemorative Meeting on Ten years of Freedom in South Africa (27 April 2004)
• Statement at the Special High-Level Meeting with the Bretton Woods Institutions and the World Trade Organization (WTO) (26 April 2004)
• Statement on Item 21 on Global Road Safety Crisis (14 April 2004)
• Statement at the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda (7 April 2004)

March 2004

• Statement at the Foreign Press Centre Tokyo (30 March 2004)
• Statement on the occasion of the 19th Annual Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Persons (25 March 2004)
• Statement to mark the observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March 2004)
• Statement at the Model Youth Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) (9 March 2004)
• Statement to mark the observance of International Women's Day (8 March 2004)

February 2004

• Statement at the Roundtable Policy Conference on Africa's security, stability and development "Building the future for Africa: A potential Role for the African Diaspora" (26 February 2004)
• Statement at Long Island University: "Promoting Sustainable Development: A Perspective from the United Nations General Assembly" (25 February 2004)
• Statement at the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce Ceremony Awarding of the CACCI Distinguished Medal of Service (20 February 2004)
• Statement to the Council of Presidents of the General Assembly (4 February 2004)

January 2004

• Statement at the Open-ended Informal Consultations of the Plenary on Agenda Item 56 (Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Related Matters) (30 January 2004)
• Statement at the Opening Ceremony of the 30th Annual Session of the Yale Model United Nations (29 January 2004)
• Statement at the Official Ceremony for the Inter-regional Preparatory Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Developmet of Small Island Developing States (26 January 2004)
• Statement at the Special Summit of the Americas (12-13 January 2004)

December 2003

• Statement at the Conclusion of the Main Part of the 58th session of the General Assembly (23 December 2003)
• Statement at the Sixth Annual Staff Security Summit (11 December 2003)
• Statement at the Global Peace and Tolerance Awards 2003 of the Friends of the United Nations (10 December 2003)
• Statement on the occasion of Human Rights Day (10 December 2003)
• Statement at the CONGO General Assembly "Inclusive global governance: challenges and opportunities for CONGO in partnership with the United Nations" (4 December 2003)
• Statement on the Awardees of the 2003 United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights (2 December 2003)
• Statement on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (2 December 2003)
• Statement on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (1 December 2003)
• Statement on World AIDS Day (1 December 2003)

November 2003

• Statement to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November 2003)
• Statement to the Council of Non-governmental Organisations (CONGO) "The General Assembly: A commentatry on progress in the work of the fifty-eighth session" (20 November 2003)
• Statement on the occasion of Africa Industrialization Day (20 November 2003)
• Statement to the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States at the Meeting of Experts on Democratic Governance (19 November 2003)
• Statement at the luncheon following the presentation of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award to the Government of Italy (17 November 2003)
• Statement on the occasion of the presentation of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award to the Government of Italy (17 November 2003)
• Statement at Medger Evers College City University of New York: A view from the United Nations General Assembly (17 November 2003)
• Statement on the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development to the Second Committee (11 November 2003)
• Statement on the Open-Ended Panel on Commodities of 27 October 2003 to the Second Committee (3 November 2003)

October 2003

• Statement at the Closing of the Debate on Revitalization of the Assembly and Organization as a whole; and, Appointment of Facilitators (31 October 2003)
• Statement at the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development Informal Interactive Plenary (Afternoon Session) (30 October 2003)
• Statement at the Plenary Meeting of the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development (30 October 2003)
• Statement at the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development Informal Interactive Plenary (Morning Session) (30 October 2003)
• Statement at the Informal Hearings of Civil Society and Business Sector on Financing for Development (Business Sector Hearing) (28 October 2003)
• Statement at the Informal Hearings of Civil Society and Business Sector on Financing for Development (Civil Society Hearing) (28 October 2003)
• Statement at the Open-ended Panel of the General Assembly on Commodities (27 October 2003)
• Statement at the Opening Session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Hearing at the United Nations (27 October 2003)
• Statement to Mark the Observation of Disarmament Week (24 October 2003)
• Statement on the occasion of United Nations Day (24 October 2003)
• Statement to the Women's International Forum (21 October 2003)
• Statement for the Panel Discussion on "International Cooperation in Tax Matters" (20 October 2003)
• Statement on the observance of World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (17 October 2003)
• Statement on the assessment of the debate of item 11: Report of the Security Council (17 October 2003)
• Statement at the conclusion of the joint debate on Item 10: Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organisation, and Item 60: Follow-up to the Outcome of the Millennium Summit (9 October 2003)
• Statement at the Symposium to commemorate the Fortieth Anniversary of the encyclical "Pacem in Terris" of Pope John XXIII and the Silver Jubilee of the Pontificate of his Holiness Pope John Paul II (7 October 2003)
• Statement on World Habitat Day (6 October 2003)
• Statement at the close of the General Debate (2 October 2003)
• Statement on the International Day of Older Persons (1 October 2003)

September 2003

• Statement at the opening of the General Debate (23 September 2003)
• Statement at the High Level Plenary Meeting on HIV/AIDS (22 September 2003)
• Statement at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York (21 September 2003)
• Statement for the ringing of the Peace Bell Ceremony (19 September 2003)
• Statement on "Towards a more viable General Assembly" (16 September 2003)
• Statement at the Annual Interfaith Sevice to the Commitment to the Work of the United Nations (11 September 2003)

Events

• The Global Compact Leaders Summit (24 June 2004)
• High-Level Conference on South-South Cooperation (15 - 19 December 2003)
• High Level Dialogue on Financing for Development (29 - 30 October 2003)

Team

• H.E. Mr. Julian Robert Hunte, President
• H.E. Mrs. A. Missouri Sherman-Peter, Chef de Cabinet
• H.E. Mrs. Sonia Leonce-Carryl, Deputy Chef de Cabinet
• H.E. Mr. Colin Granderson, Adviser (Political Affairs)
• H.E. Mrs. Irma E. Loemban Tobing-Klein, Adviser (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs)
• H.E. Mrs. Vernetta Calvin-Smith, Adviser (Political Affairs)
• Mr. Miles Stoby, Senior Adviser (UN Reform)
• Mr. Christopher Hackett, Senior Adviser (SIDS + 10)
• Mr. Kenneth Jordan, Senior Adviser (Political and Security Affairs)
• Mr. Claude Haylock, Adviser (Development and Economic Affairs)
• Ms. Lorna McLaren, Adviser (UN Communications and Special Events, Research Coordinator)
• Ms. Esma Fricot, Adviser (Budgetary and Administrative Affairs)
• Ms. Michelle Joseph, Adviser (Special Political and Decolonisation Affairs)
• Mrs. Michele Montas, Spokesperson
• Mrs. Donna Culpepper, Research Assistant
• Ms. Gian Dean, Research Assistant
• Mr. Eduardo Uziel, Research Assistant
• Ms. Shellitta McNicolls, Research Assistant
• Ms. Antoinette Gallagher, Assistant
• Mrs. Nadira Kowlessar, Administrative/Information Technology Assistant
• Ms. Simone Wray, Personal Assistant to the President

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