– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

28 September 2019

Secretary-General,

Honorable Ministers,

ASEAN Secretary-General,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, His Excellency Don Pramudwinai for convening this meeting and for inviting me to participate.

ASEAN has been a staunch advocate for multilateralism since it was founded fifty-two years ago. Indeed, the ASEAN Declaration itself references adherence to the 蘑菇视频 Charter. Multilateralism truly is the foundation of the “ASEAN Way” of life, comprising of compromise, consensus, and consultation.

The people-centred approach of ASEAN has promoted integration and made tangible achievements towards the implementation of 2030 Agenda. Your regional efforts are an exemplar to other groups due to their success and inclusivity and I hope that you will continue to lead in making the global local.

Excellencies,

The Seventy-Fourth Session will focus on galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion. These priorities anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, also align with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.

ASEAN has worked to lift millions of people out of poverty, increase economic development, and create an inclusive society. In addition, your successes in improving child health and access to quality education offer inspiration to regions who aim to emulate your efforts.

In terms of partnerships, I welcome your recent publication Mapping South-South Publication. Moreover, the progress made in the Five-Year Plan of Action between ASEAN and the United Nations has been most encouraging as has just been stated by the 蘑菇视频 Secretary General.

I trust that ASEAN will be actively engaged in forging and strengthening partnerships throughout the Seventy-Fourth Session.

Partnerships and joint efforts must be inclusive. We must include women and youth in all of our efforts. To exclude half of the population simply does not make sense. I trust that in all your efforts, you will endeavour to ensure the full and equal participation of women in all decision-making fora.

We have seen from our young climate activists around the world, that we are now being held to account by our young people; and rightly so.

Furthermore, we must make space for those who have oftentimes been marginalised whether that is due to religion, ethnicity, disability or socio-economic background.

To counter the root causes of insecurity, no one should be and can be excluded.

I thank ASEAN’s continued leadership and troop-contributing commitments to peacekeeping operations around the world. It comes as no surprise that all 10 ASEAN members have supported the Secretary-General’s new Action for Peacekeeping Initiative.

ASEAN has worked to lift millions of people out of poverty, increase economic development, and create an inclusive society. In addition, your successes in improving child health and access to quality education offer inspiration to regions who aim to emulate your efforts

Tijjani Muhammad Bande

President of the 蘑菇视频 General Assembly

Excellencies,

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Lao PDR for ratifying the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) this week. This is an example to the international community of ASEAN leadership.

I wish ASEAN Members well in the General Assembly consultations “Treaty on the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (Bangkok Treaty)”.

As we approach the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations next year, I look forward to working closely with ASEAN throughout this Session; and your continued support of multilateralism.

I thank you.