Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
12 May 2022
Faculty members and students,
Dear friends,
I am delighted to join you today at the Venâncio de Moura Diplomatic Academy and grateful for your kind invitation.
The Diplomatic Academy signifies the importance that His Excellency President Joao Lourenco and the Government of Angola attaches to multilateralism, and to preparing Angolans to the rigors and complexities of 21st century diplomacy.
A diplomat is a loyal representative of a country’s national interests and those of you here at the Academy today are thus positioned to carry on that torch and that responsibility.
As a seasoned diplomat, with a long career serving in both the Government and legislature of the Maldives, this noble profession has brought me great satisfaction.
My dear Friends,
Having been elected President of the General Assembly for the 76th session since September 2021, I was afforded exactly one year to make a meaningful difference in the work of the General Assembly.
One year, during which I am vested with the power to convene High-Level Meetings, preside over debates and dialogues, and play a mediating role among 193 Member States and various stakeholders on a variety of issues.
In doing so, I have prioritized five ‘rays of hope’ for my presidency:
- The first is on Recovering from COVID-19.
In that regard, last February, I convened a High-Level Thematic Debate entitled “Galvanizing Momentum for Universal Vaccination.”
Recognizing that “no one is safe, until everyone is safe,” the event provided a timely opportunity to renew political commitment and to accelerate international efforts to achieve universal vaccination.
- The second is on Rebuilding sustainably. As we endeavor to overcome the pandemic, it is critical that we learn from our past mistakes and correct our course.
We must redouble our commitment to meeting the 2030 Agenda. We cannot afford to miss our targets on the Sustainable Development Goals, as we strive to recover better. Indeed, the SDGs can and must serve as a blueprint for a sustainable recovery.
- The third is on Responding to the needs of the planet. While the pandemic, and more recently the conflict in Ukraine, has absorbed our attention, we cannot ignore the fact that our planet is in peril. We must continue to move forward on the action and agenda items that will mitigate climate change, save our rich biodiversity, and protect ecosystems, both on land and below water.
For my part, I intend to convene a High-Level Thematic Debate dubbed, “Moment for Nature” in July.
This will be an opportunity to take stock of all the crucial decisions taken during the Climate Change Conference of the Parties or COP26 in Glasgow, the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) held on Monday in Cote d’Ivoire, and the Ocean Conference that will be held in June in Portugal.
- My fourth priority, Respecting the rights of all, stems from the understanding that we have a moral obligation to recognize the inherent value and dignity of all human life – a principle at the very heart of the UN itself.
We must continue to push for gender equality. And we must take steps to protect all people, especially vulnerable communities and populations such as refugees, displaced people, and migrants.
- My fifth priority is on Revitalizing the United Nations. I believe that every country that comprises the global community, whether rich or poor, influential or feeble, should have a seat at the negotiating table.
They should be able to articulate their priorities and contribute to solving global challenges. That was the founding promise of the United Nations and it is our responsibility to live up to that ideal and aspiration.
Each of these Rays of Hope is intended to support efforts to tackle global crises and challenges, and thereby demonstrate that the UN is fit-for-purpose to address today’s most pressing issues.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our world faces multiple armed conflicts, rising extremism, nuclear proliferation, cyber threats, disinformation, the continuing pandemic, and the profound impacts of climate crises.
In a world defined by complex interdependence, we must act as one world, one planet, one humanity – as nations united.
I strongly believe that young people have not been given enough space to constructively engage in breathing new life into our multilateral system.
This is precisely the reason why I launched the Fellowship for HOPE, in which eight young diplomats from underrepresented countries have joined my Office to gain real experience working in the United Nations.
Three of the Fellows are from the African region: Guinea, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
They are now visiting UN Offices in Geneva, Brussels and Italy as part of their Fellowship training.
It is my hope that these Fellows will take back the lessons and values gained from this unique experience to benefit their home countries and national institutions.
My dear Friends,
If there is one message I will leave you with, it is this:
Trust in multilateralism and commit to making it better, making it stronger, and making it work for the people it serves.
Believe in the power of working together.
Never stop working for a world that is better, more united and more inclusive.
And never stop hoping. Hope is truly a good thing.
Over the past 76 years, successive generations have built on that vision. And it is your responsibility to become stewards of that legacy.
The United Nations itself was founded on the belief that through the collective efforts of Member States, we could rebuild our world, protect human dignity, and lay the foundations for a better tomorrow where the possibilities are limitless.
A collective future that is peaceful, prosperous, just, and YES, hopeful.
It has been an absolute joy to speak with you today. I am eagerly looking forward to your questions.
Please continue to be the positive change and the bright spark in our world.
I thank you.
