Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Philemon Yang,
at the Briefing on the Priorities for the Resumed Part of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
[As Delivered]
Excellences,
Distingués Délégués,
Mesdames, Messieurs,
C’est avec un grand plaisir, que je vous accueille à cette séance d’information, sur les travaux de l’Assemblée générale, en vue de la reprise de sa 79ème session.
Cette présentation se décline en quatre parties. La première met en lumière les réalisations marquantes de la 79ème session, depuis son ouverture en septembre 2024, avec, en point d’orgue, le Sommet de l’avenir.
La deuxième partie aborde les principaux défis, auxquels la communauté internationale fait face actuellement.
La troisième partie se concentre, sur les mandats confiés à cette session de l’Assemblée générale.
Enfin, la quatrième partie sera dédiée aux solutions, que je propose pour relever ces défis, en mettant en œuvre le Pacte pour l’avenir, et en organisant une série d’événements phares.
I – RETROSPECTIVE DE 2024
Permettez-moi de commencer par la Semaine de haut niveau, qui a marqué avec succès, le début de la 79ème session en septembre 2024.
Les dirigeants mondiaux ont trouvé, comme chaque année, un espace pour échanger sur les problèmes mondiaux, allant de l’élévation du niveau de la mer, à l’impératif de la non-prolifération nucléaire et du désarmement.
Le moment clé a été le Sommet de l’avenir, au cours duquel les dirigeants ont adopté, par consensus, l’un des instruments les plus importants de notre époque : le Pacte pour l’avenir. Lors de mes interventions précédentes, j’ai eu l’opportunité de saluer les États membres pour cette réalisation historique. Je le fais à nouveau aujourd’hui!
Je tiens également à saluer les efforts considérables déployés par le Secrétaire général, Son Excellence Monsieur António Guterres et l’ensemble de l’équipe du Secrétariat dans le cadre du processus du Pacte pour l’Avenir.
En adoptant le Pacte pour l’avenir, les États membres ont assumé la responsabilité collective de protéger les besoins, et les intérêts des générations actuelles, ainsi que ceux des générations futures.
Le Pacte met en exergue l’existence d’une véritable opportunité de renouveau et de progrès, fondée sur notre humanité commune.
Malgré les graves périls auxquels nous sommes confrontés, nous vivons également un moment de grande opportunité. Nous devons tirer parti de cet élan.
Et ce, avec lucidité, face aux nombreuses crises, qui continuent de menacer le progrès mondial.
En outre, au cours de la partie principale de la 79ème session, les six commissions ont achevé leurs travaux avec succès. Même la 5e Commission, a pu conclure ses travaux avant la fête de Noël, et ce, malgré les défis considérables auxquels elle a été confrontée.
Je saisis cette occasion pour saluer la détermination des présidents des commissions ainsi que l’engagement de chaque État membre pour les progrès accomplis.
Je tiens également à souligner le sérieux avec lequel les co-présidents et co-facilitateurs nommés, ont accompli leur travail avec succès.
Alors que nous entamons cette nouvelle phase de nos travaux, je perçois une forte détermination de votre part à tous pour relever les défis qui nous attendent.
II – LES DÉFIS À RELEVER
Nous entamons l’année 2025, alors que plus d’un milliard de personnes vivent toujours dans une pauvreté extrême, dont 40 % dans des pays frappés par des conflits violents.
Tel est le cas à Gaza, au Soudan, en Ukraine et dans bien d’autres régions ou de tels conflits tuent des milliers d’êtres humains, déplacent des millions de personnes et déstabilisent des régions entières.
Avec des dépenses militaires en constante augmentation, nous devons nous rappeler que la guerre n’est pas et ne sera jamais une option durable pour résoudre les crises et les conflits.
Recourons au dialogue, l’outil le plus économique et pourtant le plus puissant pour résoudre les différends.
Réaffirmons notre engagement envers l’élimination totale des armes nucléaires, afin de protéger l’humanité et notre planète.
Mobilisons nos ressources financières, scientifiques et politiques, non pas pour des armes de mort et de destruction, mais pour le développement, la paix et la prospérité.
Et comme si ces fléaux ne suffisaient pas, notre planète continue de battre des records de chaleur, de sécheresse et d’inondations généralisées, aggravant la rareté des ressources et provoquant des migrations à une échelle sans précédent.
Le changement climatique est indéniablement une réalité effrayante !
III – THE MANDATES OF THE 79TH SESSION
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me now deal with point number III, the mandates of the 79th Session.
The year 2025 offers us the opportunity of a new start.
The General Assembly bestowed upon the 79th Session significant mandates. Many of these mandates have already been executed successfully thanks to your support. I also thank the Secretariat for its support in the realization of those mandates and look forward to working together throughout the rest of the Session.
The remaining mandated activities for 2025 include those my team and I will prepare for the 80th Session. These mandates are an integral part of our efforts to address the challenges our world faces.
Here are some key mandates:
- The High-level meeting to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth;
- The World Social Summit for Development;
- The High-level meeting to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
We know that we can count on your continued support for implementing the rest of the mandated events, where global decisions will be made.
In this context, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain in July will be crucial.
I look forward to participating in this Conference and doing my part, to elevate the urgency of financing the Sustainable Development Goals.
I will convene an interactive multi-stakeholder dialogue, on the Secretary-General’s report on the review of commitments made toward Africa’s development.
Also, on our calendar is the high-level meeting on structural barriers faced by middle-income countries, in implementing the 2030 Agenda. The high-level meeting will explore approaches for moving beyond gross domestic product, towards a more holistic measure of economic progress.
The High-Level Interactive Dialogue on Culture and Sustainable Development, and the High-Level Meeting on Sand and Dust Storms, offer two more key moments to build momentum for change.
Our efforts to advance these aims will be doomed, unless we also bridge digital divides, and improve accessibility for everyone, everywhere.
The World Summit on Information Society later this year presents a pivotal opportunity, to advance our efforts to create a free, open, and secure digital future for all.
Likewise, the establishment of an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, will help us build a reliable scientific knowledge base, to firmly close the digital divides.
With the Third United Nations Ocean Conference, upcoming in June in France, we yet have another chance to further support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14, through an action-oriented declaration.
I plan to build on the outcome of this conference to foster blue economies, in regions where they are most needed.
Excellencies,
Throughout our work, we must remember that our mission is to leave no one behind.
In December, our General Assembly proclaimed a second International Decade for People of African Descent.
I strongly support the establishment of this second Decade, and urge Member States to sustain action across these goals.
At the High-level meeting to mark the 25th Anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we acknowledged that our fight for gender equality is far from over.
Through my participation in the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, I aimed to keep the spotlight on the need for both prevention and accountability.
Going forward, as an International Gender Champion, I pledge to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, across all aspects of my Presidency.
This year, we will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325. In spite of a strong legal framework, gender equality, women empowerment, and protection continue to face major challenges.
The push for progress must continue.
In recognition of the need to respect human dignity, we will continue to address inequalities, and gaps in protecting and promoting human rights worldwide.
I will convene the High-level meeting on the recommendations of the Working Group on Ageing, to define the next steps for ensuring the full enjoyment of rights of older persons.
The high-level debate on crime prevention will address the global prison challenge, marking the 10th anniversary of the Nelson Mandela Rules, to ensure humane treatment of prisoners.
In a similar vein, this year, we will be awarding the Nelson Mandela Prize. This award is given every five years to two individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving humanity.
I invite Member States, and other relevant stakeholders, to submit nominations so that we can honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela.
The Prize will coincide with the celebration of the Nelson Mandela International Day, on 18 July.
What are my signature events?
In addition to galvanizing energies for the execution of the mandated and other activities, I will work with Member States on a number of activities to facilitate the implementation of the Pact for the Future. We will also seek to bridge the gaps identified in the three pillars of the work of the United Nations.
The Secretary-General has informed me about the Secretariat’s plan for the implementation of the Pact for the Future. I thank the Secretary-General and commend him for this initiative. The activities my team and I will be carrying out will be synergetic with the Secretariat’s plan. These activities aim to support Member States’ actions in advancing the implementation of the Pact, as follows:
- Mainstreaming the Pact’s Commitments into Existing Inter-governmental Processes: Co-facilitators meeting
I will organize an informal meeting with co-facilitators and co-chairs of relevant intergovernmental processes. The aim of the meetings is to seek ways of integrating into these processes, the commitments of the Pact for the Future. This is to ensure that the outcomes of the processes align with the Pact.
- Informal dialogues
I will convene a series of informal dialogues, to advance the implementation of the Pact for the Future. The dialogues are a platform for Member States, to exchange views, share best practices and ideas on implementation efforts at the national level.
A total of three informal dialogues would be convened in early March, May and July 2025, respectively on the following topics:
- a) The Pact for the Future – Means of implementation.
- b) The Pact for the Future – Monitoring and Evaluation.
- c) The Pact for the Future – Looking ahead to 2028.
- Townhall Meeting with Civil Society Organizations (CSO).
A segment of my interactive dialogue, with Civil Society Organizations, on the priorities of the 79th Session, will focus on the Pact for the Future. This will provide an opportunity for civil society to exchange on the roles, that they can play in the implementation of the Pact.
- Outreach and advocacy
I will continue to discuss the commitments of the Pact for the Future in all my public statements. I will also discuss the commitments of the Pact with world leaders, and other stakeholders during my travels.
My office will circulate an informal summary, following each dialogue, to help transform the Pact’s vision into meaningful actions.
I count on all Member States, to ensure that these dialogues carry through to your respective capitals, and further advance national implementation efforts.
Indeed, national ownership of the Pact for the Future is crucial, in order to obtain any sustainable outcomes in which we invest our efforts at the multilateral level.
We are all here, because we are the representatives of our people back home. What we do here must be for them and owned by them. This is the Charter’s foundational goal of “We, the Peoples”, to which I commit to promote throughout this session.
Our work in support of the implementation of the Pact for the Future, and complementing the mandates bestowed upon the 79th Session are important.
I will also undertake additional activities under the theme of my presidency: ‘Unity in Diversity for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for everyone everywhere’.
These additional activities which I call “My signature events”, will be grouped under the three pillars of the work of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development. My signature events will be as follows:
Under PEACE AND SECURITY, I will undertake the following:
One, convene a high-level thematic debate on the multifaceted aspects of peace and security in Africa, and the future of peacekeeping operations in Africa. We will emphasize the role of UN funded African Union-led peace operations.
Two, convene a joint General Assembly and ECOSOC meeting, supported by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, to spotlight the challenges posed by the spread of small arms and light weapons to peace and sustainable development. Small arms and light weapons fuel conflict, and obstruct development. A comprehensive response is necessary.
Under HUMAN RIGHTS, I will focus on the need to ensure human dignity, for everyone everywhere and to do so I will undertake to:
One, host a high-level meeting on the protection of human dignity in armed conflict, together with the International Committee of the Red Cross. We will highlight the need to respect international humanitarian law, which is being eroded during global conflicts.
Two, I am re-constituting the Advisory Board on Gender Equality, focused on the promotion of women’s economic empowerment and participation. That will be through existing international mechanisms, and the implementation of gender equality related actions and commitments in the Pact for the Future. I will convene the first meeting of the Advisory Board in the coming weeks.
Three, child labour is a human rights violation, that must be condemned by all of us. With the support of the International Labour Office, I will spotlight this topic during my presidency. That will raise awareness and promote the prohibition and elimination of child labour in all its forms, including the recruitment, and use of child soldiers.
Under SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, I will focus on the important aspect of financing for development, as a key element of the agenda, and in that regard, I will undertake the following:
One, intensify advocacy around financing for development, including the reform of the international financial architecture, to better serve the long-term development needs of developing countries. I will therefore convene a meeting in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, focusing on scaling up our action on financing for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Two, I will also advocate the enhancement of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, through the power of science and innovation.
With that in mind, I will convene an interactive multi-stakeholder dialogue, to assess the implementation of commitments made towards Africa’s development. The UNDP project, TIMBUCKTOO, is a practical example of promoting digitalization, and youth in Africa’s progress.
In addition, and to advancing my priorities, I will be focusing on the need to FOSTER DIALOGUE AND BUILD TRUST.
In order to do so, I will be holding “Palaver Tree” Dialogues, as informal, interactive and restricted dialogues, with Member States on highly topical issues of the international agenda.
To truly embrace Unity in Diversity, I will place multilingualism at the core of the priorities for my Presidency. In this context, I have established a Task Force on Multilingualism within my Office.
The Task Force will launch an Action Plan to better integrate multilingualism into the work of the 79th session of the General Assembly, and into my Office’s activities. I strongly encourage Member States and other stakeholders, to support the work of this Task Force.
COMMEMORATING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UN
Still under my Signature Events, on 26 June 2025, I will convene a commemorative plenary meeting, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations. The meeting will emphasize the United Nations objective to achieving peace, development and human rights for “we the peoples.”
When the UN Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, it carried with it the hopes of a complex and divided world that was intent on building a future of trust, solidarity and international cooperation.
We must recover this San Francisco spirit. That powerful spirit must continue to guide all of us.
I have also initiated consultations on a possible UN80 Summit meeting in September.
Excellencies,
With so many priorities to achieve, it is also my duty to recall that the United Nations continues to face an aggravated liquidity crisis, due to late payment and withholding of assessed contributions.
This crisis forced the Secretariat throughout 2024, to disengage from several programme implementation plans, and focus on liquidity management.
If left unresolved, this liquidity crisis will spark yet another one: a crisis of confidence in the United Nations.
It is a crisis we cannot afford. It is a crisis that will upset our eight-decade gains of unity in diversity, the powerful symbol of what the United Nations represents!
I commend the Secretariat for managing to keep many of its programmes afloat productively. I call upon all Member States to fulfill their financial obligations in a timely manner and without conditions.
The United Nations is the place for global dialogue, bringing friends and adversaries together. The funding of the United Nations must, therefore, never be subjected to solving political problems. It is the contrary. We must all fund our Organization in order to deal with our problems.
Excellencies,
Humanity continues to benefit from science and technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence. However, it is important to remember that human intelligence is irreplaceable; and human creativity is unfathomable and unlimited.
As you have heard, we have no shortage of ambition.
As with all our priorities, we will be measured by our actions. We cannot succeed alone. We count on you Member States. We also count on the assistance of the Secretariat as we all journey together throughout the 79th Session.
My team and I intend to “walk the talk” and deliver on my promises to you, the Member States of the United Nations. For the challenges we face, require that we commit to work together, to achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves.
My appeal to you is sincere and simple. We have worked successfully since September 2024. My greatest wish is that we continue to work together during the rest of the 79th Session.
In this resumed session, we must not let opportunities pass. We have no time to waste.
It is for this reason, that I will seize every opportunity, to engage with all of you to ensure that our approaches are effective. It is important that our partnerships are inclusive, that our unity stands strong in our diversity as we chart the course ahead, and travel into the future.
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
