PGA Remarks at Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministers of Foreign

Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,

Mr. Philémon Yang

at the Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministers of Foreign Affairs

23 September 2024

[as delivered]

Your Excellencies, Mr. Minister,

Thank you very much.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me start by thanking Ambassador Ayebare for inviting me to address this distinguished audience today.

And let me commend Uganda’s leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement over this past year.

Indeed, Uganda masterfully hosted both the Non-Aligned Movement and the G77 Summits, back-to-back, a remarkable feat of organizational and diplomatic effort.

Excellencies,

Since 1961, the Non-Aligned Movement has played a leading role in bringing nations together, across differences, to find solutions to shared challenges.

Sufficed to say, that we need the support of each other.

The world is rife with challenges and, sadly, more divided than ever.

Where we should be making progress, we are entrenched in differences and focused on resentments.

The only way we will move forward on climate, on conflict, on poverty, hunger and inequality, and on all the other challenges we face, is to come together and work hand-in-hand.

That is why, as President of the General Assembly, I have embraced unity in diversity as the underlying theme of the 79th session.

I believe this theme is also a good description of the Non-Aligned Movement, where 120 nations from four different continents are gathered today.

That is also why I am reaching out to partners such as the Non-Aligned Movement to support our bridge-building efforts today and tomorrow.

We need to work together in order to mobilize political will and drive action.

This is particularly important for those who are suffering the extremes of conflict and humanitarian catastrophe, be that in Gaza, or Ukraine, in Sudan or in Haiti.

Let me be clear: civilians must be protected during armed conflict. This is a cornerstone of international humanitarian law. The principles of distinction and proportionality apply in every conflict and to every conflict party.

Let me be even more clear: women and children have no place in conflict; the elderly and vulnerable groups have no place in conflict; schools and hospitals have no place in conflict.

The numbers of killed and injured woman and children, and the scale of destruction of civilian infrastructure, that we are witnessing in Gaza are totally unacceptable.

We must work together to protect those who have no place on the frontlines. We must protect those who are not fighting in the field.

We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire;

we need the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages;

we need unhindered and safe humanitarian access; and

we need to ensure full respect for international humanitarian law and resolutions of the General Assembly and of the Security Council of the United Nations.

That is what the UN Charter requires of us.

It is what our morals and the principles of humanity and solidarity demand of us.

I thank you.