Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
30 June 2022
His Excellency Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Distinguished Speakers of Parliaments of NAM Member States,
Parliamentarians,
Ladies, and Gentlemen,
I wish to extend my sincere appreciation for inviting me to address this gathering of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network.
I also thank the Government of Azerbaijan, once again, for the kind hospitality afforded to me and my team during our recent visit to Baku.
I would also like to thank Her Excellency Ms. Sahiba Gafarova, Chair of the Azerbaijan Parliament for the hospitality extended to me during my visit to the Milli Majlis. We had a very thoughtful discussion on the role of parliamentarians in multilateralism.
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
At a time when global challenges continue to mount and test the resilience of the multilateral system, the continued strengthening of the NAM and the NAM Parliamentary Network is cause for hope.
I say this, not only as President of the UN General Assembly or Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, but as a former parliamentarian, and as a former Speaker of Parliament.
International diplomatic efforts alone cannot achieve success. To reach national and local levels we need the support of legislative bodies.
As I said recently to the International Parliamentary Union in New York, parliaments are where resolutions and multilateralism turn into concrete action on the ground.
And this is particularly important as we aim to recoup development gains lost or setback by the pandemic.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to commend President Ilham Aliyev for demonstrating foresight and leadership during the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak when he called for an online summit-level meeting of the NAM Contact Group under the theme, “United against COVID-19 pandemic”.
As a follow-up to this online summit, a Special Session of the General Assembly on COVID-19 initiated by NAM under the leadership of Azerbaijan was held on 3-4 December 2020.
Dear Friends,
The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals are a result of several years of consultations and negotiations by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, national parliaments and hundreds of parliamentarians.
The efforts to achieve the SDGs gives parliamentarians an opportunity to redouble their commitment towards improving people’s lives and respond to the needs of the planet.
The 2030 Agenda rightly acknowledges the essential role of parliaments in achieving the SDGs and encourages them to be part of national review processes.
From adopting budgets to ensuring implementation and accountability, and to ensuring that all laws passed adhere to the principles of sustainability, parliaments have a key role to play in achieving sustainable development.
I encourage all those here today to lend their full support to the SDGs in the remaining period until 2030, and to engage in their full realization, particularly now as we work to recover from COVID-19.
Likewise, I encourage as broad and as inclusive an approach as possible.
Achieving sustainable development requires the involvement and participation of all stakeholders in our community.
As the NAM Parliamentary Network gathers strength and plan your way forward, I urge you to consider gender equality – and parity – in society, in parliaments, and in addressing the challenges we face.
I also encourage you to take inspiration from the strength, commitment and passion of young people. I urge you to involve them in your work, in your deliberations.
Friends,
Fellow parliamentarians and multilateralists,
As we emerge from COVID-19; as we grapple with war in Ukraine and conflicts around the world; as we continue the struggle against climate change, let us endeavor to do so together. Hand in hand.
Let this Network become an example of what we can achieve.
I thank you again for the opportunity to engage and I wish you all a successful outcome.
