Making the United Nations Relevant to all People– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly
4 February 2019
Your Excellency Miroslav Lajčák,
Your Excellency Peter Thomson,
Your Excellency Mogens Lykketoft,
Your Excellency Vuk Jeremić,
Your Excellency Joseph Deiss,
Your Excellency Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa,
Your Excellency Jan Eliasson,
Excellencies, dear Delegates,
I have the honor to share this podium with those who have preceded me as Presidents of the General Assembly. Their presence today honors us and reflects their commitment to the validity of the principles and values of the United Nations. I also acknowledge the support of other former Presidents of the Assembly who, for various reasons, could not be here with us today.
This is a unique opportunity. I am not sure there has ever been the case that eight Presidents of the General Assembly have been assembled in this venue. We will certainly benefit from their wisdom and long experience to revitalize our Organization, review our work methods and contribute to an effective multilateralism.
Allow me to highlight the special contribution of women to this Office. In addition to Sheikha Haya Al-Khalifa, who is with us today, I would also like to pay a special tribute to Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, from India, and Angie Elizabeth Brooks, from Liberia, who preceded me in 1953 and 1969, accordingly.
Excellencies,
We are here today to emphasize the value of the General Assembly as the most democratic and representative body of the United Nations and the unparalleled role of multilateralism.
Cooperation and multilateral action are both indispensable to respond to global challenges such as the existential challenge of climate change or international migration. However, we are in a moment in which extreme multilateralism and nationalism are on the rise. Considering that, we must have the ability to answer this key question: what is the added value of the UN in the context of Globalization? This is a question that we asked ourselves and that we tried to answer this morning after a very fruitful meeting with the former Presidents of the General Assembly.
Likewise, bringing the United Nations closer to the people must be an effort for everyone: the media, political leaders and all the Bodies of this Organization.
Dear colleagues,
In order to strengthen a rule-based international system and face the challenges that still lie ahead of us, we obtained the support of the vast majority of Heads of State and Government during the high level segment of the General Assembly last September.
We must double our efforts to counter the perception that multilateralism is a threat to sovereignty. Quite the opposite, multilateralism is the only tool for developing countries, and all countries of the world, to ensure the sovereign equality of the States.
Multilateralism is the only way to ensure national interest in an interdependent world. No country is able, by itself, no matter how powerful, to effectively face the world drug problem, terrorism, international organized crime, human trafficking.
Currently, in order to have a strong and efficient multilateralism, we need a stronger General Assembly, a more efficient United Nations.
This is why I established the revitalization of the United Nations as one of my priorities for this period of sessions. The presence of the former Presidents of the General Assembly will contribute to this endeavor.
Allow me to focus briefly on some central aspects to guide our dialogue.
First, the intergovernmental process related to the revitalization of the General Assembly.
We need to keep the priority of the General Debate as a central forum for world leaders to discuss the most pressing global issues and be heard. This will imply rationalizing parallel meetings and activities.
The selection process for the General Secretary and the Presidency of the General Assembly has greatly improved in recent years. We should consider similar processes for other high level positions in this Organization.
Furthermore, my predecessors will certainly agree on the need to further strengthen the Office of the Presidency of the General Assembly to guarantee its effectiveness. We need to have an institutional structure that provides more support to the Office, better accountability, transparency and the authority necessary to respond to the constantly increasing activities and mandates.
We need to address challenges related to staffing as well as the mobilization of needed funding to ensure sustainable and predictable resources.
This includes also the importance of considering alternative dates for the beginning of the regular session of the General Assembly, in order to give enough time for incoming Presidents to prepare adequately for the General Debate and the main session.
Second, I wish to highlight the critical importance of improving the way we do business at the UN. Our resources and time are limited, while the multiple and complex needs of our Organization are constantly growing.
We need to look at possibilities to further streamline our agendas to respond to the increasing number of items, resolutions and negotiations. We must avoid repetitions, duplications and dedicate more time to follow-up and evaluate the implementation of resolutions and decisions of Member States.
We are here today to emphasize the value of the General Assembly as the most democratic and representative body of the United Nations and the unparalleled role of multilateralism.
Third, we have the great challenge of implementing the reform process that we approved last year. Therefore, supporting the Secretary General to secure and execute the reform on the ground and here is vital for our credibility and efficiency.
Fourth, States need to make progress on the fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals and their corresponding targets. The 2030 Agenda is a jewel of multilateralism. It raised the expectations of the whole world to have a better future for all. We must deliver on the central goal of “leaving no one behind.”
After more than three years of implementation, the High Level Political Forum that will be convened this year under the auspices of ECOSOC and the General Assembly will allow us move forward more quickly and be able to deliver on the 2030 Agenda within the agreed timeframe.
Fifth, we also need a sincere commitment to the agreements that we have worked so hard to adopt to jointly face major global challenges. This includes the Paris Agreement and its Programme of Work.
This also includes the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
We cannot, of course, talk about the relevance of the United Nations if we ignore the critical issue of the Security Council reform. Indeed, its current composition, established more than seventy years ago, does not reflect the current political realities of the world anymore.
We need to improve its effectiveness, its legitimacy and the implementation of its decisions. Making progress in this matter will reflect our collective ability to face the major challenges in the subjects of peace and security.
In conclusion, as we prepare to celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the creation of the United Nations, we have the unique opportunity to move towards a genuine revitalization of the Organization.
I thank you, former Presidents, for your presence, your contributions to this dialogue that is now, more than ever, so necessary. Thank you for your commitment and I invite you to continue to provide your support, from each of your countries and fields of work, to strengthen the General Assembly and all of the United Nations.
Thank you.
