Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,

Mr. Dennis Francis,

at the Civil Society Town Hall

12 December 2023,

Video: https://youtu.be/kbDbKHrPdlo

[As Delivered]

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

Good morning. Thank you for your participation at our first Townhall with Civil Society Organizations, this morning.

Before I begin, allow me to thank the Department of Global Communications for their partnership in organizing this event and Mr. Maher Nasser for moderating it.

And let me also thank those joining us online.  I am very eager to hear your questions and to engage with you.

When I assumed the Presidency of the General Assembly in September, I outlined a series of steps and initiatives to rebuild trust in the multilateral system and to reignite global solidarity.

This stemmed from the fact that, amid ever worsening global challenges, our nations – and indeed our peoples — seem to be drifting further apart.

We are seeing more pervasive signs of fraction and disunity, of discord and disharmony.

This is hampering our ability to address climate change; it is diminishing our efforts to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals; and it is impacting our confidence in our ability, though not in our resolve, to live up to, to confront and to try the conflicts, violence, and grave violations of human rights that we are witnessing.

As President of the General Assembly, the world’s preeminent forum for dialogue and deliberation, it is my responsibility to serve as a convenor and to bring together all peoples, all sectors, and all stakeholders, to drive forward solutions to our shared challenges.

That includes, of course, working with you, our vital civil society partners.

Because the reality is that Member States alone cannot resolve the challenges we face; we need the voices and the contributions of civil society, we need that of the private sector, we need that of academia and the youth. We need everyone, I repeat, everyone.

With the principles of unity and solidarity as my guiding light, I have instructed my team to pursue a 78th session that engages in open, inclusive, and transparent consultations with all relevant stakeholders when planning our activities.

And to uphold this pledge, we are taking the necessary actions.

We have designated two civil society focal points at my Office;

We have launched an open “AskPGA” platform on our website, to better engage with the general public;

and I have committed that during my official visits, I will engage with local stakeholders and grassroots organizations, including institutions of learning and civil society representatives, where it is feasible to do so.

Today, I am glad that we are here – and I truly hope that this is just the beginning.

Because we want to do more; I hope that you will offer suggestions for the remainder of the session and help us look at further ways to enrich the process, and indeed the content, of ongoing intergovernmental processes by incorporating the enormous experience and perspectives of civil society.

On that note, and as we look ahead to the remainder of 78th session, there are multiple opportunities for civil society engagement and participation.

First, a major task for this session are the preparations for the Summit of the Future in September 2024.

This includes negotiations for the Summit’s outcome – the so-called Pact for the Future, to be accompanied by a Declaration on Future Generations and a Global Digital Compact, if agreed by the Member States.

While Member States remain the decision-makers, the voices of civil society are indispensable, and I have therefore requested the co-facilitators to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are meaningfully engaged to ensure inclusive outcomes.

On this point, I am delighted to note that the co-facilitators will hold a virtual consultation, tomorrow, with stakeholders and civil society representatives. I encourage you to participate in this consultation, as well as send any written inputs on your views and expectations of the Summit, as well as suggestions for the outcome document, the Pact for the Future.

 

Beyond the Summit, I invite you to join us in preparing for a new flagship initiative of my presidency, the Sustainability Week, which I will organize in April, here at UNHQ.

Announced two weeks ago at COP28, this signature initiative of my Presidency will include events covering sustainability in transport, tourism, infrastructure and energy, and a signature event on debt sustainability.

Details for registration and participation for each of the events will soon be available on our OPGA website.

Colleagues, dear friends,

I will stop here, because of course the purpose of today’s discussion is to hear from you and to engage with you.

While looking forward to our interaction, let me indicate in advance that I have received a significant number of questions, which I very much welcome as a sign of the extent of your interest to engage. In view of the limited time we have this morning, please feel free to utilize our ’AskPGA’ platform, should you require follow up responses after the town hall.

On that note, I welcome your questions and suggestions, and hand it back to Maher.

Thank you.