– As prepared for delivery –
Statement by H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Delivered by Mr. Farrukh Khan, Deputy Chef de Cabinet to the President of the General Assembly
29 October 2020
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to start this address by thanking every individual who has supported the United Nations over the past 75 years.
That includes all of you, here at United Nations Association. Over the past 75 years, you have informed, inspired, and mobilized the American people to support the ideals and vital work of the United Nations. Your work is crucial. Nations are a product of their people. Member States policies reflect the desires of their population. If people no longer care about the United Nations, governments will not either. Without government support the UN would cease to exist.
So be in no doubt, your efforts to support to the UN are recognized, and valued.
When considering why multilateralism matters, and the value of multilateralism, it is important to consider the circumstances in which this organization was created. When our founders established this organization, they did so in the smoldering wreckage of war. World War Two, the deadliest in history, demonstrated the clear need for a forum that could be “a center for harmonizing the actions of nations.”
The founders recognized that the three pillars of the United Nations – peace and security, development, and human rights – are equally important, interrelated, and interdependent. One cannot advance without the other.
And that is what the UN has been striving for over the past 75 years with the support of you, the people we serve, through the Member States representing you.
We should not overlook the United Nation’s achievements. Membership has increased from 51 to 193 Member States today, reflecting, in significant part, countries gaining their cherished independence and committing to the United Nations and its Charter as sovereign states.
Quiet diplomacy and the development of arms control regimes prevented the decades long cold war from turning into a nuclear conflict. Peacekeeping Missions have kept the peace and protected civilians. UN special political missions have helped defuse crises and promote lasting solutions to conflict. Electoral assistance has reinforced public trust in democracy, including in crucial transition periods.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, set out fundamental human rights to be universally protected for the first time.
The UN has worked tirelessly to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, including the equal rights of women and men.
In the past 75 years, the UN has also shaped the norms for international development.
In 2000, we adopted the Millennium Development Goals, to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women.
Now, as we enter the Decade of Action, we have recognized that implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – which is universal – provides a coherent blueprint for a better world.
This has become even more pressing in the context of the threats posed by climate change, disruptions caused by technological developments and the current pandemic.
An upgraded UN must respond to these challenges and changes to stay relevant and effective. It must be inclusive and consult widely with all relevant stakeholders, including regional and sub-regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society, the private sector, academia, and parliamentarians to ensure an effective response to our common challenges.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Multilateralism is not an option but a necessity as we build back better and greener for a more equal, more resilient, and more sustainable world.
The United Nations must be at the center of our efforts.
Since the UN was established, the world has changed in unimaginable ways.
An upgraded UN must respond to these challenges and changes to stay relevant and effective. It must be inclusive and consult widely with all relevant stakeholders, including regional and sub-regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society, the private sector, academia, and parliamentarians to ensure an effective response to our common challenges.
We must support the United Nations to evolve into a more agile, effective and accountable organization, so it is fit for purpose and can deliver the future we want.
In the UN75 Declaration, Member States agreed that there is no other global organization with the legitimacy, convening power and normative impact as the United Nations. No other global organization gives hope to so many people for a better world.
As we enter the seventy-fifth Session it is now time to act. The President of the General Assembly is taking the call for renewed global action seriously. The United Nations is only as strong as its members’ commitment to its ideals and each other.
I urge you to continue your critical work supporting the UN. Your work is crucial to engage directly with the people we serve. To inform them about the UN, but equally importantly to listen to what they want the UN to do for them. So please accept our thanks – and keep doing what you are doing!
Thank you.
