Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Philemon Yang
Opening remarks at Civil Society Townhall on Priorities for the 79th Session and implementation of the Pact for the Future in support of Member States
Wednesday, 12 February 2024, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, Trusteeship Council Chamber
[As Delivered]
Ladies and gentlemen,
Members of the Civil Society,
I begin by welcoming you all to the United Nations and to this town hall meeting.
Let me take a moment to acknowledge the remarkable diversity in this room.
You all come from different backgrounds, cultures, and hold varying perspectives of the world and our society.
Yet you are united in the pursuit of a better world for all, proving that diversity is indeed our strength.
This is what I call “unity in diversity”, in my vision statement for the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Let me also take the opportunity to commend you, as civil society representatives, for your engagement with the United Nations.
You are an integral part of what the Charter refers to as “We, the Peoples”.
Our global challenges require a collective, all-hands-on-deck solution, which includes each and everyone of you, members of the civil society.
I look forward to listening to you today and to engaging with you throughout the 79th session of the General Assembly.
Colleagues, dear friends
As we explore potential avenues on which we may collaborate, allow me to outline the priorities that will be pursued during the 79th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
These priorities are largely my signature events which add to the mandates bestowed upon the 79th Session by the General Assembly.
Though wide-ranging, these priorities are deeply interconnected, and embody our commitment to a more just, secure, and prosperous world.
They reflect the needs of our world, today, and are rooted in the three pillars of the United Nations. Namely: human rights, sustainable development, and peace and security.
They are as follows:
- First, advocating for compliance with international law in situations of armed conflict. Only weeks ago, we addressed this question during the informal interactive dialogue on “Preserving human dignity in armed conflict: Promoting compliance with international humanitarian law”. Appalling violations of international humanitarian law can neither continue nor go unpunished. For even wars have rules.
- Second, the total elimination of child labour. This scourge continues to rob millions of children of their dignity, well-being, and the formative years of their youth. Years that should be dedicated to growth, development and pursuing an education.
- Third, scaling up action on the Sustainable Development Goals. We intend to achieve this goal through efforts to fix international development finance and unlocking much-needed resources as well as through capitalising advances in digital technologies.
- Fourth, tackling the threat posed by small arms and light weapons on development. This problem can only be solved comprehensively and here I intend to partner with the President of the Economic and Social Council.
- And finally, focusing on the multifaceted aspects of peace and security in Africa and the future of peacekeeping. In this regard, we would like to look at Africa’s potential to lead peacekeeping operations.
Moreover, throughout this session, we will also focus on implementing the Pact for the Future.
This Pact is not just a declaration—it is a commitment. And together, we must turn it into action through implementation.
As such, I intend to hold three interactive dialogues with Member States on the implementation of the Pact in March, May and July 2025, looking at the means of implementation, the monitoring and evaluation of the actions and looking ahead to 2028, when the Pact will be reviewed.
Chers collègues,
Dans chacun de ces efforts, la Société Civile est indispensable.
Les organisations de la Société Civile ont souvent une compréhension approfondie des défis spécifiques auxquels sont confrontées les communautés locales, une compréhension qui peut renforcer et éclairer les politiques plus larges des Nations Unies.
En effet, ces organisations constituent l’épine dorsale de démocraties saines, jouant un rôle crucial dans la promotion du progrès en promouvant l’engagement civique, en défendant les Droits de l’Homme et en fournissant des services essentiels aux communautés.
Elles servent de pont entre la politique mondiale et les communautés locales, incarnant l’essence même de « Nous, les peuples ».
Nous dépendons de leurs passion et engagement inlassable pour faire avancer les choses.
Par le biais de leurs réseaux locaux et de leur plaidoyer, les organisations de la Société Civile contribueront à garantir que les engagements mondiaux se traduisent par des changements significatifs sur le terrain, répondant aux besoins réels des communautés du monde entier.
As President of the General Assembly, I am steadfast in my commitment to amplify the voices of civil society organizations, and look forward to exploring how we can best engage with them towards our shared goals.
And I would welcome your suggestions as we move forward, recognising that this must always be an evolving process.
It is a process – and we all know a process is not an event that takes place for one day or a week.
My dear friends,
By working alongside and empowering civil society, we can accelerate our efforts towards a world that is more just, equitable, and peaceful.
A world where everyone has access to quality education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
A world where human rights are not just proclaimed, but respected, protected, and upheld in all circumstances.
A world where globalisation and interdependence do not divide us—but unite us in collective action to confront the challenges that threaten our shared future.
I thank you for your dedication to building that world and look forward to your questions.
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Media Contacts
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Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org
