New York, 26 September 2014

The President of the General Assembly (PGA), H.E. Mr. Sam Kutesa, highlighted his priorities for the 69th session at the opening of the General Debate and in a series of bilateral meetings held on the margins of the High-level week

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Opening the General Debate of the General Assembly on Wednesday 24 September 2014, President Kutesa introduced the theme of this 69th session, “Delivering on and implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda.” The Post-2015 Agenda, which will succeed the Millennium Development Goals in 2015, will integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development -economic, social and environmental – and drive global efforts to eradicate poverty. The PGA stressed that the greatest responsibility of the international community would be to ensure the mobilization and effective use of “means for implementing the Post-2015 Development Agenda, in terms of finances, technology development and transfer and capacity-building”. Following his call to Member States to demonstrate leadership at the Secretary-General Climate Summit on 23 September, the President recalled the devastating effect of climate change, stating that it was “a defining challenge of our time”.

He also reiterated these messages in a series of bilateral meetings held on the margins of the High-level week. In a meeting with the President of the European Council, H.E. Mr. Herman Van Rompuy, and the President of the European Commission, H.E. José Manuel Barroso, President Kutesa underscored the importance of keeping Official Development Aid commitments. Noting the strong European Union (EU)-UN Partnership, President Barroso stressed that economic development, sustainable consumption and production patterns, and good governance are all necessary ingredients for the next development agenda. The President of the European Commission also welcomed PGA’s intention to convene a High-level Event on climate change.

Meeting with H.E. Mr. Morgens Jensen, Minister for Trade and Development Cooperation of Denmark, President Kutesa reiterated his conviction that development and rights go hand in hand and underlined the importance of achieving a common understanding on how to reflect human rights and the rule of law in the Post-2015 Agenda.

The reform of the United Nations was a focus of the exchanges with H.E. Mr. Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of China, who underlined the need to increase the voices and representation of developing countries.

Peace and security issues were also on the agenda. The President discussed the situation in Mali with President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who expressed his appreciation for the international community’s intervention in his country. The President of Mali underscored the importance of the ongoing talks in Algiers and stressed that his Government would make every effort to ensure a successful outcome of the negotiations. PGA also met with H.E. Mr. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of South Sudan. They discussed issues related to the peace process and the efforts by the international community to consolidate peace and security and conditions for development in the Republic of South Sudan.

President Kutesa further met the President of Slovakia, H.E. Mr. Andrej Kiska, who voiced his concern over the situation in Ukraine. The situation in the Middle-East was also discussed with H.E. Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait and with H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Arabic Emirates.

On Friday 26 September, the President of the General Assembly met with H.E. Ms. Amina Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Kenya. He also met with H.E. Mr. Manuel Vicente, Vice President of Angola. With both, PGA discussed the importance of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations and the key role that these organizations can play in peace and security. The Vice President of Angola welcomed the theme for the session and the PGA’s intention to convene high-level events to focus on the priorities set by President Kutesa for the 69th session.

Earlier in the week, the PGA met with representatives of West African countries most affected by the Ebola outbreak -Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, ahead of the plenary meeting he convened on 19 September 2014, calling on all nations to take quick action and provide urgent assistance.

PGA also met with H.E Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa. Minister Nkoana Mashabane congratulated the PGA and assured him of South Africa’s unwavering support. The PGA expressed his appreciation and highlighted the importance of United Nations reform, including the revitalization of the General Assembly and reforms of the Security Council, a subject that was also discussed, among others, during subsequent bilateral meetings PGA held with H.E. Mr. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt; H.E. Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohamed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain; and H.E. Ms. Maia Panjikidze, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

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