Remarks by the President of the General Assembly H.E. Philemon Yang,
at a Lecture at Strathmore University
Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya
19 February 2025
[As Delivered]
Good afternoon,
If I say I am pleased to be here, that would be an understatement. I am gratified to be here, because I always look for an opportunity to commune with young people, and especially young people who are at your level. It’s a wonderful opportunity to even address a few words in your presence.
I thought I should say a word about what I do every day. The UN has the habit of electing every year, one person who becomes the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations and this is for twelve months. So, I became President of the UN General Assembly in September 2024, and in September my term will be over. I will also be involved in helping choose the next person, the person who will succeed me. It will probably be a German as I think in Europe it is Germany that will provide the next President.
I am also very happy to be here, this is not my first time in Nairobi. This is a beautiful place, I’ve been here many, many times before. Sometimes I would go through here to countries like Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania or Seychelles. So, I am also in many ways psychologically Kenyan.
Excellencies,
My Dear Students,
Dear Friends,
Ladies and gentlemen
I thank the Government of Kenya for welcoming me to this country. Since we came in yesterday, we have been treated like heroes even though we are far from that. It is wonderful to be at this University, Strathmore University to address you. I wouldn’t say address you, to have a conversation with you.
And on hearing the Vice – Chancellor, I think you are more the University of the United Nations than anything else. The United Nations was created to be the organization of the people. And in fact, the Charter at one place says “we the peoples” means it includes all of you, you are all members of the United Nations. Kenya is represented in the United Nations, but all people, all the youth, all the handicapped people, even the people who don’t hear, who cannot write their names, are members of the UN. So, I am very happy to be with you.
I daresay I am eager to converse with you so that I may listen and learn. This is an academic environment, and you have great ideas here. I’m ready to learn from them. I am especially delighted to speak to you today. When I got the invitation, I thought to myself, who thought of this? And I thank everybody who thought of inviting me to come here.
You students are the future of Kenya, not only of Kenya, you’re also the future of the African continent and the future of the world. You are the leaders of tomorrow, and our civilization needs you.
Indeed, one of the great privileges of serving as President of the UN General Assembly is to engage with young leaders. You are effectively a leader; you don’t need an organization to lead. When once you’re studying and expressing yourself, you are one of the leaders in the world in which we are.
Your vision is what will direct the way the world goes in the near future. You are not only the leaders of tomorrow. You are the leaders of the generations that will come. You are all rising stars in a world that is constantly dynamic.
It is you who ultimately will reap the rewards or bear the burdens of the work of the United Nations. The United Nations makes mistakes. You will bear the burdens the United Nations does everything right. You will enjoy a life which would be very different from what we’ve known in the past. The United Nations is an organization which was created to serve all the peoples of the world.
I am always mindful of the special responsibility that this great organization has toward you.
Dear Friends,
The United Nations was created after two world wars, World War One, 1914 to 1918 and World War Two, from 1939 to 1945. The objective of the United Nations was and is to avoid all the troubles that wars cause. Because when people fight, some die, those who don’t die might have very twisted lives afterwards.
The Founding Fathers of the United Nations were determined to respect human dignity and create a just and harmonious world society.
And The United Nations was created with three pillars to guide the UN: Peace and Security, Development, Human rights, and human dignity. All these pillars have a very serious cross fertilization between them. Peace will be little or nothing if your dignity as a human being isn’t respected, if you’re treated like a dog, peace wouldn’t mean anything, and peace doesn’t mean anything if you cannot feed your children, your children cannot go out to school. The aim was to create a world in which we safeguard our climate and natural heritage. To be healthy we need to live an environment which is healthy and that is why the issues concerning climate change are of concern to all of us. And it’s one of the areas where no one country can change everything all alone. We need everybody on board. We need a world where nations work together.
All nations face global challenges. These challenges oblige us to embrace international cooperation in all its forms. We need a world where nations work together. All nations face global challenges. These challenges oblige us to embrace international cooperation in all its forms.
In fact no human institution or organization is perfect. And the United Nations is not perfect. I could even say that human beings are imperfect, and everything we create is imperfect as a reflection of who we really are. Our crucial area of reform, and the United Nation needs to keep reforming itself so that it can be better includes issues is the UN Security Council. We must consider how to make the composition of that Council more representative of all the regions of the world. The present composition of the United Nations Security Council is far from satisfactory.
Yet despite these imperfections, the United Nations remains a force for good. United Nations was created to bring good into this world. And if the United Nations didn’t exist, we would create one.
If you look at the world, you look at the news every evening, you see all of us, we have difficulties, conflicts, if it is not war, it is confusion. And if it’s not confusion, it’s a number of people creating problems for each other. So, in spite of these imperfections, the United Nations will keep working so that you can enjoy the opportunities which exist, in spite of all the challenges.
My dear friends
Do not forget that eighty years after the founding of the United Nations, this organization, United Nations, continues to play a vital role. It is necessary for maintaining international peace and security, advancing sustainable development, and upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms.
And the UN remains the foremost platform for multilateralism because it is uniquely positioned to address challenges, and the challenges I’m referring to, all of them cross the borders. There is, hardly, a real challenge which remains a national challenge. All of them cross borders. across the world, that all cross borders. All countries and human societies are interdependent, because we are interdependent we must embrace both sovereignty and internationalism. Even countries that are sovereign, cannot close their doors to international cooperation with other states.
My faith in the United Nations is enduring. We all need that organization. And as President of the UN General Assembly, I chose a theme which comes from the bottom of my heart, and what is that theme? I quote unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for everyone, everywhere. I believe that the UN is the only organization capable of advancing the multilateral cooperation needed to realize my vision. My vision is not a single person’s vision but the vision of many, many people. And I think all of us look up to the United Nations so that we can organize and have the world we desire.
Dear Friends,
In September 2024, Heads of State and Government came together and adopted the Pact for the Future.
Through that adoption, all the countries of the world renewed our commitment to multilateralism. We also laid out in the Pact, a comprehensive blueprint for building a fairer, more just, and more effective international system.
All nations and societies can both compete and cooperate at the same time. For Africa, the Pact for the Future holds transformative potential, with commitments that directly address key priorities on our continent. These priorities include:
- Reforming global governance structures, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to reflect today’s realities. The UN Security Council does not reflect the realities of our world.
- Advancing fairer trade and development policies that empower African economies.
- Securing financing for development and reforming the international financial architecture to ensure African countries have a voice in shaping global economic policies.
- Promoting an open, free, and secure digital future that leaves no one behind.
But simply acknowledging the Pact’s transformative potential is not enough. Otherwise, it remains just some words and aspirations. We have an obligation to implement the Pact for the Future. It is a process whose time has come.
We must take substantive, concerted action to implement it. Because the Pact gave us an opportunity to make commitments so that we can have better results and bring meaningful change to people’s lives all over the world.
Dear Friends,
We live in a modern and dynamic civilization. We must also recognize that science, technology, and innovation are vital to Africa’s socioeconomic transformation and sustainable development.
These are the engines of progress. Those are the engines driving solutions to Africa’s challenges, propelling industrial growth, and expanding job opportunities.
This is evident in Africa’s growing startup ecosystem, particularly in hubs like Kenya and Nigeria. In these two countries, Africans showcase the continent’s immense capacity for innovation.
One of the annexes to the Pact for the Future is the Global Digital Compact. This annex which lays the groundwork for an inclusive, safe, and open digital future for all—provides significant momentum in this sphere for the future.
Already, the United Nations, its agencies and partners, are investing in Africa’s startup ecosystem through initiatives like Timbuktoo, unlocking youth potential and accelerating development.
We live in a rapidly evolving world. To advance further in science, technology, and innovation, we must strengthen educational systems, improve infrastructure, and ensure equitable access to digital resources.
Bravo! Well done! From listening to your Vice Chancellor, your university is a leader in all these sectors, and I know you will play an important role in Kenya and in the world.
At the educational level, expanding access to quality Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is essential to unlocking Africa’s potential. That kind of education will enable all of us to give ourselves the future we desire. Only we as people all over the world can create or fabricate the world we desire.
It is the key to harnessing the power of its greatest asset—its burgeoning youth population—while fostering homegrown innovation and sustainable development. Your generation, all of you, is capable of determining what the future of Africa will be.
Beyond the Pact for the Future, the international community has several opportunities this year to strengthen its commitments and accelerate implementation of our shared sustainable development goals.
These opportunities include:
- The review of the World Programme of Action for Youth;
- The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development; and
- The Second World Social Summit on Development.
Each of these moments presents a crucial opportunity for the international community to come together, shape effective policies, and deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives. All the peoples of this world have a right to live better lives.
Equally important, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. In 1995, leaders adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Kenya has a special connection to this anniversary. It was here that the forerunner to the Beijing Declaration, the Nairobi Forward-looking strategies for the advancement of women, were agreed upon in 1985.
In fact, the Pact for the Future acknowledges that the world is a long way from achieving gender equality. Gender issues are definitely important. The fact reminds us that realizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is indispensable to achieving progress across the Sustainable Development Goals. Achieving gender equality requires all hands-on deck. Young women and young men must work together to change social norms that effectively discriminate against women and girls.
Just a few days ago, I formally became an International Gender Champion. I have committed to place gender equality at the core of all my priorities.
I have established an Advisory Board on Gender Equality, to provide their guidance on how to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment across the work of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
My dear Friends,
Let us be frank.
Sustainable development cannot advance during the ongoing tragedy and chaos of constant bloodshed.
…
Across Africa, ongoing crises are destroying communities, displacing millions, and undermining efforts to build peaceful, inclusive, and resilient societies.
As we speak, conflicts are crippling economies, uprooting families, threatening the futures of millions of young Africans, fueling humanitarian disasters, and devastating the environment.
In this context of increasing conflicts, governments are often compelled to divert scarce resources to purchase weapons and maintain their armies. These are precious resources that could otherwise be invested in resilient communities and in long-term development.
This is why the African Union’s Agenda 2063 sets a clear and urgent goal. This goal requires that we Silence the Guns by 2030, —in full recognition that without peace, development cannot take hold. Guns cannot bring us sustainable development. Instead, guns jeopardize all our development strategies.
But we must take heart. It’s not too late. Conflict is not inevitable. We have the tools. The founding mission of the United Nations requires that we prevent conflicts. We must learn to resolve our disputes peacefully.
We can avoid conflicts by strengthening governance, expanding economic opportunities, and reinforcing multilateral support for peacebuilding and conflict prevention and peaceful resolution.
Your VC did mention this, and I am happy to hear that you are already working on this and that in future..
As President of the General Assembly, I will push this agenda forward. I will convene a high-level thematic debate on peace and security in Africa. The aim is to drive action on the future of peacekeeping and expand United Nations-funded, African Union-led peace support operations. We are optimistic about this objective.
The 79th session of the General Assembly is a critical moment for action, commitment, and global solidarity.
Through collaboration, innovation, and decisive action, the United Nations—together with Member States and all stakeholders—can drive meaningful change in people’s lives worldwide.
I remain committed to supporting efforts that strengthen global cooperation, advance sustainable development, and promote peace and security for all people. We can do that with renewed resolve as we anticipate the milestone 80th anniversary of the United Nations.
This anniversary is both a moment of reflection and a call for renewal.
Every anniversary gives us an opportunity to analyze the past, act prudently and …
Today we have an opportunity to reaffirm and revitalize the spirit of the United Nations Charter. The Charter instructs us to forge a future where generations to come will no longer endure “the pain of war”. Wars rob us of our human dignity. Wars destroy human beings; the UN Charter encourages us to resolve all of our disputes peacefully.
This is a task that requires all of our efforts The task involves not just governments, but civil society, academia like you is, and the youth like you are.
Let us stand together to advance the noble goals of the United Nations—to leave no one behind—and to usher in a brighter future for all in all parts of the world.
I wish you all the young people, a great future.
Thank you
PGA Remarks at a Lecture at Strathmore University, Kenya | General Assembly of the United Nations
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