Remarks by Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the General Assembly
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Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization
6 February 2023
[As Delivered]
Secretary-General António Guterres,
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
I welcome the Secretary-General’s presentation of his report on the work of the Organization.
We are in the middle of a complex, multifaceted crisis. We are in watershed moment of history.
Business as usual approach – even with the best intentions – would not take us to the necessary solutions. We need to think and act in a crisis management mood, also seeking the ways for transformation. We have to be focused, pragmatic, impact oriented and assume the full responsibility for all consequences of our actions or lack of action.
History will not offer the todays moment again. Any late reaction, any hesitation, any missing of the strategic focuses would come with an increased price.
The focus of the report aligns coherently with the priorities we have discussed in this chamber several times, including the presentation of priorities for the work of the General Assembly outlined just weeks ago.
The General Assembly has embarked on 16 negotiation processes aiming at transformation across several of the priorities identified by the Secretary-General.
Chief among them are preparations for the SDG Summit in September – the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – and efforts to shape the Summit of the Future in 2024.
Next month, we will have the landmark UN Water Conference – the first such event since 1977 and a critical opportunity to move towards proactive and sustainable water management for all. We can achieve the “Paris moment” of the water actions if we build our plans on real gamechangers.
As we embark on our efforts, let us view these processes holistically, with a full understanding of how the priority areas outlined by the Secretary-General are both interconnected and interrelated.
Failing to pave the way for economic growth and sustainable development – as we know – will have a direct bearing on prospects for international peace and security.
To achieve the desired transformative change, we will have to refresh our thinking on evaluation of the development, going beyond GDP. We will also need the evidence and methodology science can offer us to shape our decisions.
Today’s briefing is a reminder that all UN bodies must work in sync to bring about the transformational change expected by our 8 billion shareholders.
The veto initiative, for example, has offered a master class on the importance of our work in the General Assembly – and opened the door for greater collaboration and accountability across the UN system to deliver solutions.
I look forward to working in partnership with the Secretary-General, the Security Council and all UN organs to advance our shared priorities and goals.
I am eager to hear your views during today’s debate – and through the remainder of this session on ways to take proactive action.
It is now on us to manage and prevent crises, build solidarity and pursue solutions at national, regional and global levels, anchored in the universality of human rights, that lay a solid foundation for sustainable and transformative change.
The insights you offer today will shape and guide our common efforts in the years and decades to come.
I thank you.
