– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

12 October 2020

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

I would like to first express that I am honored to address you today.

And I would also like to congratulate the Chair, His Excellency, Milenko Skoknic, Permanent Representative of Chile, and other Members of the Bureau on your election. I wish you every success for this session and assure you of my support and that of my Office throughout this session.

The pandemic has affected the practical arrangements for the conduct of our work, including our ability to attend face-to-face meetings. As we all know, the benefit of face-to-face diplomacy cannot be taken for granted. I extend my congratulations to the Bureau for their pragmatism in proceeding with a hybrid working model that includes in-person meetings, including this one. 

The signing of the UN Charter seventy-five years ago is a keystone of the international system, based on international law. And since then, respect for international law, and its development, have been a crucial component of the efforts of this Organization.

Since its establishment seventy-five years ago, the Sixth Committee has made a crucial and continuous contribution to discharging the mandate of the General Assembly under Article 13 (1) (a) of the Charter of the United Nations.

In issues as varied as matters concerning the maintenance of international peace and security, diplomatic law, criminal law, the law of treaties and the environment, it has progressively developed and codified international law.

As evidenced by its past accomplishments, the Sixth Committee and the International Law Commission play a central role in this effort.

Together, they have stood at the foundation of many ground-breaking advances in the field of international law.

This Committee plays a particularly important role in promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with Articles 2 (3) and 33 of the Charter.

The International Court of Justice, an indispensable part of the United Nations system since its beginning, has been joined in the last decades by other international courts created through negotiations held by your predecessors in this chamber.

This is a year of key elections for these courts and tribunals and it is important that despite the challenges we will still face for in-person work at United Nations Headquarters, we as a community find ways to deliver on those essential tasks that contribute to the full respect for international law.

The signing of the UN Charter seventy-five years ago is a keystone of the international system, based on international law. And since then, respect for international law, and its development, have been a crucial component of the efforts of this Organization.

Volkan Bozkir

President of the UN General Assembly

Distinguised delegates,

Your work is crucial to multilateralism. International law underpins the rules based international order that has supported international peace and security, human rights and development for the past 75 years.  I simply ask that you to keep this up. By doing this you will be playing a strong role in recommitting to and strengthening multilateralism in the face of current challenges this is absolutely necessary and important.

Therefore, I warmly welcome the efforts of this Committee to organize the program of work so efficiently and to continue to conduct your business through deliberation and consensus. As you have clearly recognised, it is important not to delay discussions on the important issues for which this Committee is responsible.

I look forward to working with you to stregnthen the international legal order and with it, multilateralism, a key priority of this session.

I thank you for having me in this meeting and I wish you all the best in your very important endevors.

Thank you very much Mr. Chairman.