Remarks by the President of the UN General Assembly,
H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang,
at the 2025 Sustainable Development Goal 16 Conference
Monday, 12 May 2025
[As Delivered]
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank all the organisers for hosting this important conference and for inviting me to join you today.
Peaceful, just and inclusive societies – as envisioned in Sustainable Development Goal 16 – are the bedrock of our international community.
They are anchored in values of equality, inclusion and respect for human rights.
And they underpin all our efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
With 2030 quickly approaching, the need to accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals could not be more urgent.
The General Assembly, as the most universal decision-making body, plays a crucial role in advancing Goal 16.
Member States, on the basis of sovereign equality, come together to find common solutions to global challenges.
With one quarter of humanity now living in conflict-affected areas, we must prioritise action to unleash progress across our complex global agenda.
And I have emphasised peace and security, the rule of law and inclusive multilateralism as anchors for our efforts.
These anchors come together on, amongst others, the critical issue of small arms and light weapons.
In this regard, earlier this year, I convened a joint meeting with the President of the Economic and Social Council on small arms and light weapons control for preventing violence and advancing sustainable development.
The objective was to focus on the impact of the illicit flows and misuse of these weapons on development.
I commend Member States for their valuable recommendations, including for a whole-of-Government approach to addressing arms control, violence reduction and poverty alleviation challenges.
These recommendations come at a pivotal moment.
In the Pact for the Future, world leaders pledged to strengthen efforts to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies.
We mean societies that:
One, provide equal access to justice,
Two, uphold human rights,
Three, promote the rule of law,
And four, rely upon transparent, accountable institutions.
To deliver on these commitments, we need coordinated action at national, regional and global levels to strengthen the independence of judicial systems.
As we advance the implementation of the Pact for the Future, we are fortunate that we are not operating in a vacuum.
The implementation of the Pact will indeed complement existing frameworks.
To maximise coherence, I convened a meeting with co-facilitators of various processes at the General Assembly.
The goal was to exchange views on how we can build upon the commitments in the Pact for the Future.
In addition, in March, I held the first of three interactive dialogues to support Member States in their implementation efforts of the Pact for the Future.
And I was encouraged that several delegations underscored the need to uphold the rule of law at national and international levels.
The eightieth anniversary of the United Nations offers a key moment to expand upon these efforts.
And to give meaning to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
Principles of justice, international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Principles that provide the backbone of peaceful, just and inclusive societies.
Your Excellencies,
In our 80th year, let us rise to this noble mission.
Let us fortify the foundations of just, peaceful and sustainable societies.
I thank you.
Media Contacts
Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org
Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org
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