Established in 1945, the General Assembly of the United Nations occupies a central position as the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the Organization. It provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter. In line with this year’s General Assembly session, with its General Debate beginning on 21 September 2021, UNAI has produced a series of video interviews with young staff working for the Permanent Missions to the United Nations and for the Organization.
Heitor Torres, diplomat at the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations, has been at the forefront of negotiations at the General Assembly and the Security Council since assuming his current role in March 2021. He says that the experiences at those meetings “made me much aware of challenges that millions of people face every day”, such as climate change, conflicts and famine.
While Hector admits that “no country or an international organization can solve all the global issues at once”, he places his hope in youth with interest in solving such issues. “Try to find where you can place your passion, your interest, or what bothers you the most.” That is the first step a young person can take, if he or she wants to contribute to promoting international cooperation.
