Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly

– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at the First Meeting of Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly”
Good afternoon. I want to start by saying that I was saddened to learn of the passing of our esteemed colleague, His Excellency, Mr. Necton Mhura, Permanent Representative of Malawi, yesterday. On behalf of the General Assembly, I express my heartfelt condolences to his family and to the Permanent Mission of Malawi. Ambassador Mhura was an accomplished diplomat, who served his country with great pride. He contributed significantly to the work of the United Nations during his time in New York. He will be greatly missed by his friends, colleagues, and the wider UN community.
Excellencies, distinguished co-chairs, dear colleagues,
Thank you all for being here, to participate in this meeting.
It marks the beginning of the Ad Hoc Working Group’s activities for the 72nd Session.
We are starting from a good place. Because, this Group has shown that it can deliver. Year after year.
We can point to many success stories. For example, the innovation and transparency seen in the process to select our current Secretary-General. Or, changes to election timelines, which will enable earlier elections for incoming Security Council and ECOSOC members. The new Oath of Office and Code of Ethics for the President of the General Assembly were other tangible results.
So, this year, we have big shoes to fill!
But we are in very good hands. And, on that note, I want to thank Ambassadors Drobnjak and Mejía Vélez for agreeing to co-chair this group for the 72nd Session.
We are here today to talk about how we can revitalise and strengthen the work of the General Assembly. I cannot emphasise enough how important this topic is. And, to start our discussion today, I will make five main points.
First, I want to reflect, broadly, on the role of the General Assembly.
It is the chief deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the United Nations. We know this. And we reference it a lot in our statements. But I would like us, for a moment, to take a step back. And to look at what this really means – both within the United Nations, and outside it.
The General Assembly has the broadest mandate of any UN body. It cuts across the three pillars of this Organisation’s work. And it provides a platform for dialogue among all 193 Member States, and a host of observer entities. Once in the Assembly, every country has the same voice– the same voting power – and the same value.
And so, the legitimacy of the UN General Assembly cannot be matched by any other body in the world.
But legitimacy, alone, is not enough. We need to use it to deliver. People around the world are looking to the General Assembly for results. They must see its relevance, in their lives. And it is these people we must focus on, throughout our work.
We cannot forget, however, that the Assembly must also feel relevant to people in our own system. And so, we need to further explore the relationship between the General Assembly and the other main organs of the United Nations.
More consistent, ongoing engagement is needed. I have prioritised closer cooperation with the Security Council and ECOSOC through monthly meetings with their presidents. I also meet with the UN Secretary-General every month, which has helped to build links between the Assembly and the Secretariat.
And so, the role of the Assembly hinges on both its legitimacy and relevance.
But the key to enhancing this role lies in our everyday work. And that is my second point today.
Let us start with the numbers. The statistics are very clear: the volume of work of the General Assembly has significantly increased over the decades. The amount of resolutions and agenda items has climbed. But, we must also look beyond the figures. It is not just how much work the current Assembly does – but also how this work is done.
The General Assembly has increasingly expanded its own boundaries. It has used the flexibility given to it by the UN Charter. In recent years, it has explored more and more issues- related to peace and security, sustainable development, international law and human rights.
And, more and more, these issues have moved into the Assembly’s plenary. Decades ago, most of the substantive work was done in the format of Committees. Now, however, the Assembly’s full plenary engages in a wide range of negotiations. And, it has shown its willingness to take on the preparation work for major conferences.
Here, I want to note that none of this would be possible without the dedication of UN Member States – in particular, you, the Permanent Representatives.
Many Ambassadors have given extraordinary time and effort to facilitate or chair negotiations. Somehow, they manage to carry out these roles alongside their hectic day jobs. And I am deeply grateful to them.
I also want to express my thanks to all the Ambassadors who have taken part in my Morning Dialogues initiative. They have already produced many innovative ideas – including some which relate directly to this revitalisation process. Before the Session ends, all Member States will have received an invitation to participate. So, I hope that we can continue these productive talks.
This brings me to my third point, on inclusion and participation.
Increasingly, Assembly meetings and processes are opening up to non-governmental participants.
I support this trend. Stakeholders from outside these walls can greatly enhance what we are doing inside them.
Representatives of academia and think tanks can provide relevant data, case studies, and analysis. Businesses can act as a source of practical solutions and investment. And members of civil society can bring us stories and solutions from the ground.
I am committed to executing mandates, which allow us to open our doors, and welcome these actors and entities in.
But, I must sound a note of warning. There is no system in place to support my Office in this process. Instead, we have been left to develop ad hoc means to arrange for external participation – often with stretched capacity. This is not a sustainable solution. And, with the number of mandates growing, it needs attention, now.
The General Assembly is the epicentre of our multilateral system. […] A strong United Nations is not possible without a strong General Assembly. And the future of the United Nations depends on the future of the General Assembly.
And, as my fourth point, I will raise some other red flags.
Here, I need to be very blunt. The Office of the President of the General Assembly has almost no institutional memory. Some steps have been taken, in recent years, to address this deficit.
For example, a new system of handover reports. The annual retreats between outgoing and incoming Presidents, and members of the General Committee, have also been helpful.
However, the situation remains precarious.
Another hurdle facing this office is the lack of preparation time. Currently, the presidential duties are assumed one week before the most demanding period of the calendar: the high-level week of the General Assembly. Thankfully, the next PGA will benefit from a one-month transition period. And I want to thank Member States for approving the funding to facilitate this. We should, however, keep this issue under review.
A further flag I want to raise is the reliance of this Office on the goodwill of donor states. Every year, the incoming President is tasked with mobilising the funds to sustain a year-long budget. This leads to a lack of security and predictability for the upcoming term. And this could, in the future, have an adverse effect on the activities and outcomes of this Office.
So, we need to look further into the lack of staff continuity, institutional memory and financial security. Our discussions will not benefit me, or my current team. But they are crucial to strengthening the role and work of the General Assembly, going forward.
And, speaking of going forward, for my final point, I want to look ahead.
In doing so, I will focus on opportunities. Because many of them lie in front of us.
For example, the question of election campaigns by Member States. We have already agreed, through last year’s resolution, to explore a possible code of conduct to guide such campaigns. In this way, we have a clear opportunity to enhance standards of transparency, accountability and equity within this Organisation.
I also urge this Group to consider longer-term arrangements for the appointment of Committee Chairs. This is crucial to the smooth functioning of the General Assembly. The current rotation scheme will only cover the 73rd Session. So, time is of the essence.
And, another major opportunity will come in May. For the first time, we will be able to engage an incoming President of the General Assembly in an informal dialogue. Also for the first time, candidates will present their vision statements. This new process aims to enhance the credibility and transparency of the next PGA’s election, which will take place in June.
Also, in looking forward, I want to point to my own duties and objectives. I remain fully committed to fulfilling the mandates attached to my Office. This includes measures to strengthen standards of accountability and transparency.
I was the second President in UN history to take the Oath of Office, and the first to voluntarily disclose my finances online. Other information about the activities and finances of my Office are also made public, on a regular basis. But, this cannot be an issue we see as done and dusted. Many opportunities still need to be explored.
Excellencies, dear colleagues,
The General Assembly is the epicentre of our multilateral system. It has produced some of the most important documents and frameworks of this generation. It has changed the global landscape – from human rights to sustainable development. It provides the only space in the world where every nation has a say, regardless of its size or power.
A strong United Nations is not possible without a strong General Assembly. And the future of the United Nations depends on the future of the General Assembly.
Among all the provisions of the UN Charter is one clear message: multilateralism is the only way to go forward. And, without it, we are destined to go back. This message was accepted for decades. Now, however, it has been put up for debate. Nationalist and isolationist tendencies are rising, in all corners of the world.
We need to counter this trend. We need to strengthen our system. We need to act as champions, and defenders, of multilateralism.
And, we need to start here, with the General Assembly.
Thank you.