Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis,
at the Executive Briefing with Member States and Geneva based International Organizations,
27 February 2024, Geneva,
As Delivered
Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me thank the Director-General and your team at the United Nations Office in Geneva for facilitating today’s executive briefing.
It is indeed a privilege to be here – among such an esteemed group of diplomats – to reflect together on how we can further the spirit of unity, collaboration and synergy between Geneva and New York.
It is only through interwoven threads of cooperation that we can fortify the fabric of our collective efforts for an effective multilateral system that can materialise our efforts towards peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all.
As we delve deeper into the plethora of negotiations, deliberations, and proceedings of the 78th session of the General Assembly, we have before us an agenda which is as diverse as it is consequential.
These endeavours are not just mere diplomatic exercises – they are the crucibles where our shared aspirations for a better world are forged.
There are, therefore, several ongoing and upcoming intergovernmental processes, summits, and other crucial events I would like to draw your attention here today.
These include but are not limited to the ongoing preparations for the Summit of the Future and its outcome documents; the High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance; the High-Level Meeting on the existential threats posed by sea-level rise; and the flagship event of my Presidency: Sustainability Week.
The first is the preparation for the Summit of the Future – and what I would call the linchpin process of this session, which beckons us to reimagine multilateral cooperation in the new world order of the twenty-first century.
The co-facilitators of the Summit have successfully presented the zero draft of the outcome document, the Pact for the Future – which is now the subject of intense consultations among Member States.
My Office and I are playing the required support role, and I urge all Member States to seize this moment to contribute creatively to the crafting a vision that transcends borders and empowers nations to surmount the challenges of our time.
The co-facilitators on the Declaration for Future Generations, as well as on the Global Digital Compact, will also start negotiations on the texts in April.
If intergovernmentally agreed, these are to form annexes to the Pact for the Future.
These negotiations are an opportunity to chart a course towards a future where innovation catalyses inclusive development and sustainable growth – including by addressing the governance and other challenges posed to our societies by the digital age.
In the coming days, I will also appoint co-facilitators to lead the process for preparations of the World Social Summit in 2025 under the title “the Second World Summit for Social Development”, in accordance with the General Assembly mandate adopted just yesterday, in New York.
In our mission to create a better future for all, we cannot overlook the invaluable contributions of Geneva-based organizations.
Negotiations on the upcoming processes, including on the Declaration for Future Generations and the Global Digital Compact, as well as preparations for the September High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance, will require expertise we can only find here.
In the areas of human rights and health in particular, harnessing the wealth of knowledge and our comparative advantages across all UN offices and locations will only enrich our deliberations – thus amplifying our impact on the global stage, and on the ground, as we chart the path towards a more just and equitable world.
Excellencies,
As part of this epic endeavour, I am buoyed by the prospect of the Assembly’s inaugural Sustainability Week, which will be held from 15 to 19 April.
This first ever week’s long series of its kind is meant to build on the momentum of the SDG Summit held last September, and seamlessly feed into the Summit of the Future – linking economic prosperity to long-term sustainability.
It will feature a series of High-Level Events on transport, tourism, energy, infrastructure, as well as my Presidency’s signature event on debt sustainability.
The latter is intended to highlight the socio-economic impact of the debt crisis on the most vulnerable members of global society – Least Developed Countries (LDC’s), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – and explore solutions to promote socio-economic equality for all.
This important Week of gatherings is the centrepiece of my Presidency, poised to propel our quest for a sustainable future for all – with each event reminding us of a different aspect of our shared responsibility to safeguard our planet and to ensure the well-being of future generations.
Preparations are at advanced stage, and I look forward to the active engagement and participation of Member States at the highest possible level.
Another signature initiative is the General Assembly’s High-Level meeting on the existential threats posed by sea-level rise, to take place on 25th September 2024, as decided by the Assembly last month.
I have appointed co-facilitators of the intergovernmental process – the Permanent Representatives of Costa Rica and New Zealand – to finalise the organisational arrangements, including on a possible outcome document.
To pave the way to September, I will attend the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States in Antigua and Barbuda in May – which aims to raise the ambition of our efforts, to ensure that we deliver on the promise we made to the SIDS; and to ease the anxieties of millions living in countries with low-lying coastal areas and Small Island Developing States.
Excellencies,
Furthermore, as a staunch advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment, I am heartened by the relentless efforts we are making during my Presidency to promote women’s leadership within the UN and beyond.
I am happy to inform you that I have appointed gender balanced teams of co-facilitators to lead the mandated intergovernmental processes in the General Assembly.
I have also ensured gender equality within my own office, including at senior levels – and, in fact, women outnumber men in my team.
Yesterday, in collaboration with UN-Women, and President of the HRC, I was pleased to launch the training campaign on gender equality and the prevention of sexual harassment for Permanent Missions in Geneva – an initiative to further cement commitment to fostering inclusive workplaces, free from harassment and discrimination for all, across all UN locations.
I encourage you all to join this pledge and to also urge all delegates serving at your respective Missions to complete the online courses. I look forward to expanding this initiative to other UN locations, to achieve system wide coverage as I believe firmly that as the UN, we must lead and inspire, by example.
I remain committed to supporting the work of the Steering Committee on Accessibility; and I have appointed two co-chairs – the Permanent Representatives of Panama and the United States to the United Nations.
I trust they will work diligently with all Member States, the Secretariat and also adopt a multi-stakeholders approach that also involves civil society organizations, with a view to enhancing accessibility and inclusivity in our Headquarters for the differently abled as integral members of the UN team.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Colleagues,
Let me conclude by saying that as President of the General Assembly, I remain committed to working for and with all Member States, the UN system, and other stakeholders to exploit the synergies in our work and to bolster its impact.
We – as Member States representatives deployed at different locations for a common purpose – cannot be demanding UN organisations to achieve synergies, coordination and systemwide coherence, without us leading by example.
Consistency and coherence across our multilateral system are the sole paths to reviving the spirit of cooperation and solidarity – across the Atlantic Ocean.
I look forward, with anticipation, to hearing your suggestions and perspectives on the most effective ways to achieve this goal.
I thank you.
