Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Philémon Yang
to the Africa Group
[As Prepared]
22 October 2024
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank Her Excellency, Ms. Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Observer of the African Union, and His Excellency, Mr. Abakar Mouctar, Permanent Representative of Chad and Chairperson of the African Group for the month of October, for the invitation to join you today.
I requested this meeting to come and say “thank you” to you all for the warm welcome you extended to me since I assumed the functions of President of the General Assembly of the United Nations. The African Group is the reason why I am carrying out these functions.
Last month you stood up, like one person, to save one of the major legacies of my presidency. You saved the Pact for the Future! You stood with me throughout the High-level Week. It is reassuring that I have your back now and throughout the 79th Session.
Your support for the Pact for the Future made certain that this historic outcome reflects the special challenges faced by countries, particularly African countries, that are on the frontlines of today’s crises, yet often lack the means to adapt.
I count on your continued support in amplifying Africa’s voice throughout the 79th session. My Cabinet is working on a package of initiatives for Africa which we will be rolling out in due course.
In this package of initiatives Africa’s development will be a priority. I recently met with the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Africa, the Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, the African Union Peace and Security Council Troika to discuss avenues for collaboration.
In this context, in the coming weeks, I will continue consultations towards the realization of a robust Africa Week retreat in May 2025. I look forward to working closely with the Observer Mission and other partners in the preparation of this initiative.
Looking ahead, I will also convene an interactive dialogue with members of civil society, academia, the private sector and others to discuss the Secretary-General’s report on the commitments made towards Africa’s development.
I issued recently a call for applications for the President of the General Assembly Fellowship Programme.
This fellowship supports young diplomats from countries underrepresented at the United Nations.
It allows them to gain first-hand experience on issues such as sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security.
Since its launch, the Office of the President of the General Assembly has welcomed fellows from Botswana, Guinea, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe. I strongly encourage your countries to nominate young diplomats for this unique opportunity.
By focusing in these ways, I aim to give life to the principle of “unity in diversity”, and foster an environment where every voice is not only heard but valued.
This includes Africa’s voice and equitable representation in the Security Council.
It is long past time that the Council represents the world’s peoples more equally and reflects their realities in the 21st century.
The Pact for the Future recognizes the urgency of making the Council more representative, inclusive, transparent and accountable.
The Pact for the Future also encourages the submission of further models for the reform of the Council with a view to developing a consolidated one.
I encourage you to consider submitting a model of your own so that the process continues to move forward reflecting the vision of Africa, one that addresses the historical injustice.
I am eager to advance this reform and have appointed two co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations process:
- His Excellency, Mr. Alexander Marschik, Permanent Representative of Austria, and
- His Excellency, Mr Tareq M.A.M. Albani, Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait
I also plan to meet with Members of the African Union’s Committee of Ten to hear their views on how the General Assembly can support their work.
In that regard, I have also just appointed two co-Chairs for the Ad-Hoc Working Group for the Revitalization of the General Assembly:
- Her Excellency Ms. Mathu Joyini, Permanent Representative of South Africa; and
- His Excellency Mr. Cornel Feruta, Permanent Representative of Romania.
Throughout, my doors will remain open to assist negotiations in any way. However, the outcome remains in the hands of Member States.
I encourage each of your countries to support and contribute to these critical processes.
More broadly on the work of the Assembly, I have also appointed His Excellency Mr. Philippe Kridelka, Permanent Representative of Belgium and His Excellency Mr. Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco, to facilitate the intergovernmental negotiations ahead of the World Social Summit scheduled to take place in November 2025.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Rest assured that I am here to serve and support you.
It is my strong hope that this session will yield meaningful outcomes for Africa’s development.
I am confident that the great opportunity to engage with you today will not be our last.
I am interested to hear your views on how we can cooperate to ensure that Africa’s priorities are always front and centre.
I thank you.
Media Contacts
Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: + 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org
Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations M: +1 917 3614990, mariam.shaikh@un.org
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