Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the General Assembly
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Remarks following the election of PGA78
(As delivered)
My sincere congratulations to His Excellency Dennis Francis on his election as the 78th President of the General Assembly.
Mr. Francis brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience from his almost forty years in Trinidad and Tobago’s Diplomatic Service – making him the longest serving Ambassador of his country.
Many of you already know Mr. Francis from his tenure in New York as Trinidad and Tobago’s Permanent Representative since 2021.
In his distinguished career, Mr. Francis has served as Senior Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on all multilateral matters including Climate Change and the negotiations for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – all key fundamentals to our work here at the United Nations.
Mr. Francis’ vision for the 78th session – “Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability” – offers a comprehensive view of the work of the General Assembly as we rebuild trust in and within this institution, tackle climate change and strive to get the SDGs back on track.
With his extensive experience and his unique perspective coming from a Small Island Developing State, I am confident that the General Assembly will be in capable hands during the next session.
As Mr. Francis prepares to take office in September, my team and I will continue to do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition.
In the nearly 100 days left until then, much work remains to be done.
The cascading crises that shepherded the start of my term still require the General Assembly to identify and adopt solution-oriented approaches. Crisis management and transformation remain the dual approach to guide our vision and actions in the General Assembly.
Working with you, I will continue to promote the use of science for a sustainability transformation, namely in the preparations for the SDG Summit during the High-Level Week in September.
Credibility of the renewed political commitment to the implementation of our goals will be a key to the success of the Summit.
We must also urgently put into action the gamechangers elaborated by the UN Water Conference to give answers and solutions to the unfolding water crisis.
We cannot let the momentum stop.
You have my full attention and support as we advance the revitalization of the General Assembly, using methods that are bearing results.
These include the meetings of the General Committee which have ensured coordination across the 16 negotiating processes, sharpening the focus of our work, and the Gender Advisory Group started by my predecessor during the 76th session.
I look forward to working with the PGA-elect to ensure a successful handover and continued progress on the many important issues currently on the agenda of the United Nations.
Thank you.
