– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
5 November 2020
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
I am pleased to be with you today for the adoption of this much-anticipated resolution on the modalities for the 31st Special Session of the General Assembly in response to the COVID19 pandemic. At the outset, I would like to thank the co-facilitators of the resolution, His Excellency Yashar T. Aliyev, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan, and Her Excellency Louise Blais, Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada, for their able leadership and extensive engagement with Member States.
Excellencies,
This resolution is the result of multiple rounds of consultations spanning the 74th Session and into 75th session, which concluded last month. I commend all Member States for the dedication to these deliberations and for your commitment to dialogue and the spirit of compromise.
It is a draft intended to find common ground and ensure the broadest possible support. Adoption of this resolution will send a clear signal to the world that the General Assembly is a catalyst for Member State action, including coordinated efforts in response to the pandemic.
The Special Session of United Nations General Assembly on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic is a historic moment, and
a test, for multilateralism. It will be defined by our collective action on one of the most critical issues of our time.
It is vital that the Special Session provides an inclusive platform which has the capacity to hear from and address the concerns of Member States and other stakeholders, including civil society, academia, and private sector experts pioneering the development of vaccines. To this end, the second day will feature interactive multistakeholder dialogue panels on different aspects of COVID-19.
I am confident that we will all benefit from a diverse exchange of information and views which will enable us to take stock of efforts to date, identify policy and operational gaps and forge a path forward.
In order to ensure that all voices are heard, I am counting on your support and cooperation in adhering to the time limits for video messages, as set out in the resolution. While we have allotted the maximum time permissible for both days of the Session, we each have a responsibility to respect the time of every speaker.
the urgency of this pandemic requires us to hold the Special Session as soon as possible. The Special Session is not the culmination of our action on this global pandemic. If anything, it is a belated first step. Discussions will catalyze further actions on various aspects of the pandemic. We cannot afford to stand idly by, for the consequences of this pandemic are far-reaching, and will impact generations to come.
Excellencies,
As I have repeatedly stated, the urgency of this pandemic requires us to hold the Special Session as soon as possible. The Special Session is not the culmination of our action on this global pandemic. If anything, it is a belated first step. Discussions will catalyze further actions on various aspects of the pandemic. We cannot afford to stand idly by, for the consequences of this pandemic are far-reaching, and will impact generations to come.
Make no mistake, this is a time for action. Action in memory of the souls lost to COVID-19. Action to protect the most vulnerable people who are depending upon us. And action to safeguard our futures. Let us not forget that none of us are safe, until we are all safe.
Thus, I ask you to support this resolution and enable the General Assembly to move forward with purpose towards this critical Special Session on the 3rd and 4th of December.
Thank you.
