– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
22 June 2020
Your Excellencies
It is my pleasure to welcome you to this informal meeting following the elections held on June 17, 2020. I congratulate His Excellency Volkan Bozkir, of Turkey on his election as the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fifth session.
I commend member states and the Secretariat for their continued support to my office, as we strive to ensure business continuity of the General Assembly despite the unprecedented circumstances that we have been operating in. I am particularly grateful to all who worked towards the conduct and success of the elections of 17 and 18 June 2020.
The past months has been particularly challenging for many around the world, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic has decimated economies and exacerbated poverty and inequality, it has also emphasized how interconnected and interdependent our world is, and how we have to work together to respond effectively to our challenges. I am, thus, grateful to member states for the uncommon show of determination to assist others since the outbreak of COVID-19. It is my hope that we would continue to assist each other to recover and build resilience for the future.
Excellencies
Our mode of work at the United Nations, particularly in the General Assembly, has also been affected by the pandemic. This has led the General Assembly to conduct its business n a modified way, due largely to the impossibility of holding in-person meetings. Our foresight in adopting and extending Decision 74/544 on the procedure for taking decisions of the General Assembly during the pandemic has ensured business continuity on issues of critical importance to the Assembly.
The landscape in a post-coronavirus world will require urgent action to guarantee recovery and to build back better. I am encouraged by the PGA-Elect’s pledge to renew our collective commitment to multilateralism – particularly in the context of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations – and his inclusive approach to ensure the full participation and engagement of Member States and other relevant stakeholders.
I thank Member States for also demonstrating leadership in responding to this global pandemic by adopting two resolutions that called for solidarity, as well as global access to medicines and medical equipment. I have since appointed co-coordinators to shepherd an omnibus resolution to address all aspects of the response to the pandemic in a more coordinated way. It is my hope that member states will continue to engage constructively and forge partnerships which will accelerate our progress to defeat the virus and build back better.
Given that the pandemic and its resultant effects puts the most vulnerable people we serve at the gravest risk, it is imperative that we work together to formulate urgent responses to both their short-term and long-term needs. Accordingly, I call on governments, the private sector and civil society actors to continue to address the specific vulnerabilities facing especially children, women, people with disabilities, the elderly and other marginalized groups.
Excellencies
This week, we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations. This occasion reminds us of the need to re-commit to multilateralism, as we are one humankind, one world, and one United Nations.
As we approach the 75th Session of the General Assembly, I wish His Excellency Volkan Bozkir the best and assure him of my support during the transition period and beyond.
The landscape in a post-coronavirus world will require urgent action to guarantee recovery and to build back better. I am encouraged by the PGA-Elect’s pledge to renew our collective commitment to multilateralism – particularly in the context of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations – and his inclusive approach to ensure the full participation and engagement of Member States and other relevant stakeholders.
Excellencies
I trust that you will offer your support to the PGA-Elect as he prepares to take the Office of the President of the General Assembly during the 75th Session; and work constructively with him to ensure a very successful 75th session for all. I am optimistic that his wealth of knowledge and experience as a diplomat and parliamentarian would serve us well during the 75th Session.
I thank you.
