Remarks by H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly,
19th Rafael M. Salas Memorial Lecture
15 November 2023
UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Kanem,
Excellency, Martin Kimani, Chair of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board,
Excellency, Ambassador Carmelita Salas,
Special Advisor and Professor of Global Health, Dr. Piot,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I stand before you, humbled and inspired by the words and deeds of a remarkable individual whose legacy continues to shape our world.
Today we gather in this eponymous hall, to pay tribute to former UNFPA Executive Director Mr. Rafael Salas, who once said:
“The question of population is not, and must not be, a matter of numbers only; it is a matter of human well-being”.
Rafael Salas – as the Pioneering Leader of first to helm UNFPA – pursued what he knew to be right.
And – undeterred by the daunting task of changing mindsets – he transformed a modest 5-person team into the world’s leading provider of multilateral population assistance.
This is the UNFPA we know today and in it we are well pleased and enormously proud.
Since those early days, the world has witnessed significant change – global population surpassing the 8 billion mark.
UNFPA has carved out a niche for itself and in that regard, continues to play a pivotal role in advancing gender equality, promoting access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, ensuring safe childbirth, and safeguarding women and girls from violence and harmful practices.
That unwavering determination – that persistent drive against the currents – is the very spirit that ought to steer the United Nations’ efforts today.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In a global landscape fraught with complex, multifaceted challenges, and escalating, protracted divides – today’s lecture is especially timely.
SDG 3 – on “ensuring healthy lives and wellbeing” – is umbilically linked to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
They are two sides of the same coin – one unified cause.
Less than two months ago, Heads of State and Government gave their assert to three health related declarations that were subsequently adopted by the General Assembly – a remarkable precedent in Assembly’s history.
These documents respectively strengthened the global commitment to accelerating efforts to ensure pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response; action to achieve universal health coverage; and prioritized to end tuberculosis.
The COVID-19 pandemic was an unforeseen, yet crucial wake-up call – for it revealed the woeful unpreparedness of the global community for a crisis of such magnitude.
The pandemic not only exposed in full public view, the shortcomings of global health systems. It also prompted a re-evaluation of our approach to health.
It did not merely test, but indeed it put on trial the humanity of the international community – thus sparking profound reflections on the very essence and meaning of international solidarity and cooperation.
And the inequity of the international and national responses eroded the fragile commodity of trust among and within nations.
Trust in science, trust in governments, trust in institutions, trust in each other—all found themselves compromised, and therefore lacking.
It is absolutely imperative that we restore it, in the interest of not only public health but importantly, in the wider frame of societal stability.
Without genuine trust, the realization of safe and secure global health systems for all, underpinned by equitable and affordable access to health care and services, will forever remain elusive.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We consider ourselves both fortunate and privileged to have you here today, Dr. Piot, and eagerly anticipate your expert insights on the overall experience and work in response to the COVID pandemic.
What lessons have we gleaned – and where do you think we still fall short in our collective understanding?
From your perspective, what contours would define a new era in global health?
In Geneva, Member States are diligently working to better the global health architecture, racing against time.
Simultaneously in New York, Member States are gearing up for a series of meetings next year, including the High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance and the Summit of the Future.
Today’s discussions and the nature of UNFPA’s work necessitate holistic, intersectoral approaches that address human rights, social, and structural needs –going beyond conventional health perspectives.
With this, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to UNFPA for extending the invitation today, and to our esteemed guest lecturer, Dr. Piot – I eagerly anticipate your perspective.
I thank you.
