21 February 2023

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,                  

My warm thanks to the Chair of the Third Committee, my good friend, Ambassador José Alfonso Blanco, for organizing this second informal meeting with civil society organizations. As far as I understand, the second one during this session.

And I welcome the fact that this dialogue has become a tradition.

I encourage future Chairs of the Third Committee – and in fact, other UN bodies – to follow your example, my dear friend.

For my Presidency, I also prioritized engagement with civil society representatives.

The stakeholder dialogue in October to prepare for the UN Water Conference, the Civil Society Townhall in December and the science briefings held some weeks ago were key moments of these interactions.

There will be several other opportunities for civil society to participate in the work of the General Assembly in the coming months.

As you know, Member States will continue to negotiate on important issues, including preparations for the SDG Summit in September and the Summit of the Future in 2024.

They will also discuss the text of a Declaration on Future Generations and a Global Digital Compact, among other important issues.

I asked all co-facilitators to consult with a range of stakeholders before the start of these negotiations to build a common knowledge base.

I am convinced this approach will foster more evidence-based proposals to address the challenges we face today.

The Water Conference in March, the second Townhall in April and the multistakeholder hearings on universal health coverage, the fight against tuberculosis, the  pandemic preparedness in spring are prime opportunities for you to share your experiences, data and suggestions with us.

The task is nothing short of transformation. We have to shape this world jointly, together with you.

Today, we are meant to have a dialogue. It is a dialogue looking back at the work in the Third Committee and forward to the tasks that remain to be done.

It could not be more timely.

Today’s interconnected world brings a multitude of crises, spanning issues of social, humanitarian and cultural significance.

Now more than ever, there is a need to deepen the UN engagement with civil society to facilitate solutions that have meaningful impact on the ground.

You are the ground. You have the practical knowledge we need.

And that is why we call for your help.

We need you to work hand-in-hand with delegations and hold impact-oriented consultations with them.

Dear Colleagues,

Your contributions are particularly important for the work of the Third Committee.

I admire the courage and dedication of human rights defenders and countless civil society actors who work for a better future and share the common objectives of justice, equality, and human rights.

We know sometimes in very difficult conditions.

I especially welcome those civil society representatives whose mission it is to provide a voice to the most vulnerable and marginalized.

Truly, you are at the core of “leaving no one behind”. I’m sure you know where this sentence is coming from.

Excellencies,

The interactions between the General Assembly and civil society are integral to reaching the solutions we need.

I reaffirm my deep commitment to ongoing dialogue and partnership with civil society.

I encourage you to come forward with proposals.

Proposals that are based on experience, data and science.

Proposals that are concrete and practical.

Proposals that are also mindful of the interconnections between the challenges we face all jointly.

Dear friends,

The actors and leaders are open to listening to you, ready to interact with you, and pleased to learn from all of you.

Thank you very much.