Solutions through solidarity, sustainability and science
1. Solutions
More than ever, in a time of widening geopolitical divides and complex, protracted crises, the world needs progress on the delivery of our shared goals. A decline in trust always makes it harder to tackle big challenges. Our mission is to support concrete solutions that have a direct impact on the lives of people and on the planet. Time is running out and the price we are paying for delays is on the rise. Deliberations at the General Assembly and the thematic conferences held under its umbrella should continue to focus on the desired impact and should share tangible results.
2. Solidarity
We have committed to leaving no one behind. The pandemic has demonstrated how solidarity within societies and among countries has an impact on social and economic stability and security. In times of crisis, honouring commitments to jointly make our world a safer place is more important than ever.
3. Sustainability
Member States have jointly decided to embark on a path towards satisfying the development needs of the present generation and preserving opportunities for future generations. That choice is based on the shared conviction that development must be sustainable. It is time to see how this vision is reflected in our daily decisions. Peace, economic development, environmental sustainability and social inclusion are inseparable aspects of our safe and sustainable existence on this planet.
4. Science
Our efforts to tackle global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the digital revolution have provided us with convincing proof of the role science can play in shaping decisions on complex issues. This transformative agenda must be based on scientific evidence and the political wisdom of negotiators.
The 77th session of the General Assembly and the world we have
For the past two years, the world has been struggling with the worst pandemic of the past 100 years. The pandemic has revealed the vulnerabilities of our societies, the bottlenecks in international cooperation and the need to strengthen our economic and social resilience. The pre-pandemic world will probably never return. Tremendous efforts will be needed to leave this complex crisis behind us and rebuild our lives in the sustainable way we envisaged before the pandemic.
5. The nature of the crisis we face
A great number of resolutions by the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the high-level political forum on sustainable development and the Human Rights Council, as well as ample scientific evidence, clearly tell us that we are confronting an unprecedented crisis. The warning we collectively received during the pandemic might be regarded as a postcard from a possible future.
We are witnessing the emergence of a lethal threat and a cascade of interlinked processes which pose the ultimate challenge to social and economic development, environmental stability and international security. Along with the unprecedented burden on health-care systems, it was alarming to see the speed of the disruption of supply chains, the contraction of economies, a growing unemployment rate, increased food shortages in a number of regions, skyrocketing budget deficits, soaring energy prices, rising national and corporate debts and spreading political and social instability. Insecurity has an unfavourable effect on the promotion and protection of basic human rights. In some places, ethnic, linguistic and religious minority groups experience particular pressure. The number of migrants and refugees is on the rise.
We must seize the opportunity of the current crisis to learn lessons and build a more sustainable and resilient world for humanity.
6. Interlinked risks to human security and prosperity
Our traditional perception of threats has been influenced mostly by risk factors of a geopolitical nature. While geopolitical rifts are likely to remain with us, and may even widen in some cases, the consequences of unsustainable development have an increased impact on our lives. Together, geopolitical and development risks create a dangerous set of challenges that undermine the stability of the most vulnerable countries and communities and endanger the prospects of the more affluent ones. We cannot afford to drift towards a global breakdown.
7. The transformation we need
The window of opportunity to strike a better balance between securing short-term survival and longer-term stability is still open. We need urgent yet consistent action guided by shared goals, a transformation through scientific, technological and economic development and international cooperation. Inaction must not be an option.
We will be judged not only by the goals we set, but also by the road we choose and time we take to reach them.
The General Assembly in an era of transformative change
The challenges we are facing require consistent responses that stretch over decades, which is far beyond the scope of what the General Assembly can handle in one year.
8. Solutions through solidarity, sustainability and science
The pandemic has reconfirmed that none of our countries are safe until all of them are safe. Most of our actions to seek greater stability and prosperity are pursued on local and national levels, but future crises can be prevented or eased through cooperation based on solidarity and shared responsibility, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
It would be difficult to fix present crises and prevent new ones while adhering to the same mentality and logic that led to their onset. Our challenges are clearly reinforcing each other. The best approach would be to seek systemic solutions and act across silos. The Secretary-General has put forward a number of inspiring suggestions in his report entitled “Our Common Agenda”. Some of those suggestions require clear decisions and actions by the General Assembly.
The General Assembly has always been the principal forum for multilateral political decision-making and norm-setting. It will remain a key body for pursuing political interests. However, prior to every conference to be convened under the aegis of the Assembly, we should also consider what science can offer us.
Coherence of the work of the General Assembly during the implementation of integrated solutions is crucially important. The strategic coordination of actions with the involvement of the General Committee should be strengthened and be supported by the Office of the President of the Assembly.
Great opportunities during the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly
There will be pivotal moments that the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly should seize during its work.
9. Human rights and political and social stability
The protection of human rights and the fight against all forms of discrimination should be further mainstreamed into our decisions. The promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities contribute to political and social stability and to the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts. The General Assembly has therefore mandated to convene a high-level meeting at the beginning of its seventy-seventh session to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.
A historic injustice has been done to half of humanity for centuries. The empowerment of women and girls should be high on the agenda of the General Assembly and the United Nations in general.
10. Sustainable development, sustainable water management, fighting climate change, protection of biodiversity and food security
The period originally foreseen for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is almost halfway over. As we embark on the second half of this collective effort, an honest and profound accounting should be made of our own performance, and sober conclusions must be drawn.
In 2023, following a preparatory high-level event in 2022, the first comprehensive United Nations conference on water since 1977 will be convened. The best time to stop the downward spiral of multifaceted water crises was yesterday, but the second-best time is now. Let these years be ones in which a breakthrough is achieved. The International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028, will be at its halfway mark. It offers a perfect opportunity for us to face our options, integrate our water and climate agendas and make sure that breakthroughs will lead to more predictable and safer development, as well as increased international confidence and security.
The twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Egypt, will be a forum for reassessing our pledges and increased ambition levels announced at the Conference’s twenty-sixth session. The twenty-seventh session should pay due attention to adaptation challenges and cooperation in accelerating the building of resilience to the unavoidable impact of climate change.
The seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly should help to make sure that the ambitious goal of protecting biodiversity will be turned into action. That will be important not only for endangered species and their habitats, but, first and foremost, for the safety of our societies and economies.
The International Food Security Assessment forum will be of crucial importance in the light of the grave tendencies we have witnessed during the pandemic. Promising nature-friendly solutions are in our hands but we are still racing against time to eliminate hunger from the face of the earth.
11. Cybersecurity
The reflections on responsible State behaviour in cyberspace in the context of international security will offer us a unique opportunity to address the combination of traditional security and cyberspace-rooted factors that have an impact on our daily lives.
Revitalizing the United Nations and the General Assembly
I will build on the results achieved under the leadership of my excellent predecessors and work with Member States during the seventy-seventh session to deliver on these mandates.
The ongoing reforms led by the Secretary-General aim to improve global institutional capabilities to deliver on an integrated agenda, assisting Member States through the rough seas of a rapidly changing world.
Additional actions by the General Assembly will be needed to advance the reforms suggested by the Secretary-General in Our Common Agenda in order to make the United Nations capable of tackling present and future challenges.
General Assembly resolutions on the revitalization of its activities provide a clear mandate on how to improve its work and place a stronger focus on the implementation of the agreed initiatives and resolutions, while aligning its daily work with the declaration on the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations and the 2030 Agenda.
Guiding principles of the operations of the Office of the President of the General Assembly
Developing an integrated perception of challenges and further aligning our actions with the changing security, economic, social and natural environment is best served by showing a good example at the level of the Office of the President of the General Assembly.
Like my predecessors, I will be working with a multinational team selected on the basis of professionalism, expertise and regional and gender balance. While the traditional structure of the Office, reflecting the key areas of General Assembly activity, would be maintained, particular emphasis will be given to the ability to work in a task force system to allow for an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral approach to operations.
The work of the Office will be based on impartiality and the intention to build bridges among nations in order to help find shared solutions, in accordance with our agreed goals and the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations.
The Office, with a relatively small but selected staff, will conduct its operations with full transparency, accountability and efficiency.
It will be my priority to duly coordinate actions with the Secretary-General, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and all other relevant organs of the United Nations.
It is my intention to hold impact-oriented consultations with civil society organizations, youth representatives, science-based knowledge centres and representatives of business communities, key finance institutions and faith-based organizations. I hope to be able to encourage them to bring their contributions to the General Assembly while keeping in mind the interlinked nature of the risk factors we face and the integrated character of the solutions we need.
The United Nations must “be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of [their] common ends”
– Charter of the United Nations
