– As prepared-

Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly

10 September 2019

H.E. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, 

H.E. Mr. Vassily A. Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation and President of the Security Council for the month of September, 

H.E. Ms. Mona Juul, Permanent Representative of Norway and President of ECOSOC, 

Ms. Sarah Cliffe, Director of the Center on International Cooperation, our moderator today.

Permanent Representatives, Permanent Observers,

Ladies and gentlemen,

After the first Dialogue on multilateralism in October, last year, Member States requested my Office to pursue a follow-up event, and I am so pleased that we were finally able to find a date. My deep appreciation goes to the Permanent Missions of Ecuador, Norway and the Russian Federation, as well as to the NYU Center on International Cooperation.

I am also immensely grateful to be joined today by my esteemed colleagues. It is a real pity that Justice Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, President of the International Court of Justice, was unable to join us at the last minute. As I noted in The Hague last week, the rule of law has been the bedrock of our post-war multilateral system. I was humbled to be the first President of the General Assembly to visit the Peace Palace, but I hope I will not be the last as we seek greater synergies between the UN’s Main Organs.

Excellencies,

We often hear this moment in time described as a “crisis”. But this is also an opportunity if we can seize it, together.

The greatest challenges we face – the climate emergency, the disruptive effects of new technologies, rapidly changing demographics, inequality, migration – also offer great opportunities: to harness the creativity of youth; the power of women, and to transform our cities, our societies and economies.

We have come a long way since the UN was founded in 1945. Today, we have international laws and mechanisms on almost every aspect of human life and planetary resource. Today, millions of people live longer, healthier and freer lives as a result of multilateralism.   

But these gains are now at risk. We are witnessing the rise of extreme nationalism which is impacting on hard-won multilateral agreements and institutions.

Unless we reverse these, we risk damaging the international system on which we depend. More than that, we risk war – war that could wipe us out. So our discussion today is not academic. It is about our future, and our survival.

The General Assembly -the parliament for humanity- is the most representative and democratic multilateral forum we have and the only that can deal with any issue on the global agenda.

This session, I have spared no effort to revitalize the work of the General Assembly. In every speech and commitment, I have made the case that international cooperation strengthens the ability of sovereign states to act in their interests. I have used every trip to reach out to people and bring the UN closer to them.

And I was delighted to support Member States in marking the first-ever International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, and in reaching agreement on the arrangements for the UN’s 75th Anniversary next year.

I hope that we will seize the golden opportunity provided by the UN’s 75th anniversary to change the way we do business and make the UN more inclusive, transparent, accountable and effective, for ¨we the peoples¨, that very powerful first phrase of the UN Charter.

María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés

President of the UN General Assembly

I hope that we can use this opportunity to address the following deficits within our system:

  • First, communication deficit. We need to find better ways to communicate work, provide meaningful answers to those who have lost faith in the international system, and push back against those who peddle misinformation.
  • Second deficit is inclusion. The UN is an intergovernmental organisation. States must be in the driving seat: taking decisions. But stakeholders such as local governments, civil society, women, indigenous peoples and youth must all play their part. We must find better ways to include them.
  • And third, delivery and action deficit. We must expend as much effort on implementation as we do on our deliberations. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, turning the Paris Agreement into reality, fulfilling our promise to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war – all of this will do more to convince people of the value of multilateralism than any speech or publicity campaign.

Dear friends,

I hope that we will seize the golden opportunity provided by the UN’s 75th anniversary to change the way we do business and make the UN more inclusive, transparent, accountable and effective, for ¨we the peoples¨, that very powerful first phrase of the UN Charter.

The September 2020 commemoration must reaffirm the values and principles set out in the Charter. But it must also build on the UN’s achievements and the action plans we have already agreed.

We must continue engaging in dialogue about how global cooperation, with the UN at its heart, can help us get there.

We need to “walk the talk” and we need to “talk the talk” – to refresh and reinvigorate this great experiment in multilateralism: the United Nations. Our future depends on it.

Thank you.