– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
14 December 2019
His Highness the Amir of Qatar,
Heads of State and Government,
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I’m delighted to be here on the invitation of His Highness and I thank the organizers of the Doha Forum.
The Doha Forum presents us with a key moment for dialogue as we enter a new decade.
?I am confident that the conversations we will have during this forum will deepen existing partnerships and lay the groundwork for forging new ones.
Over the last three-quarters of a century we have seen that when we work together, we are far more successful in our endeavours.?
?I firmly believe that working together is the only avenue to addressing common problems and achieving sustainable solutions.
The General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly attracts a large number of world leaders every year. This year, the depth of the engagement indicated that far from being out-moded, the 蘑菇视频 remains relevant. How else would one explain the participation of 192 of the 193 member states of the 蘑菇视频??
?It is of course perfectly legitimate to raise questions about the effectiveness of our multilateral order. ?
?However, even when we disagree on how the world should be organized to respond to, or anticipate, mounting challenges we eventually come to the same conclusion: that a rules-based international order is our only guarantee of peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.?
?The General Assembly is the most representative body in the world. Each Member State has an equal voice, and an equal vote. It does, however, raise concerns that only 8 percent of the speakers at the General Debate at the opening of its 74th session were female. How can we progress if half of the population is left out of decision making, economic development and of peace and security efforts??
We learn from listening to one another, by heeding the advice that flows from the lived experiences of our sisters and brothers. This is what informs our response to crises. As you are aware, our commitment as the United Nations is to “leave no one behind”. ?
This pledge is at the core of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development – it is indeed at the core of the 蘑菇视频 Charter.?We must facilitate the full and rightful participation of those who have, for too long, been marginalized. This includes large population groups, in particular women, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and youth.?
Through collective action, we can equip these groups to fully participate in decision-making.?
?We must ensure equal access to quality education for everyone, everywhere, in order to lay the groundwork for a more desirable future. Education is an equalizer.?
The young people who sit in classrooms in 2020, will sit in parliaments, boardrooms, and the General Assembly Hall in 2035; perhaps even earlier. They will shape the post-2030 world.?
They will negotiate peace. They will address issues of inequality, development and rights.?
They will be more sensitive to issues of climate change and environmental justice. They will be even more connected to their peers than any generation before them. We must strengthen the inter-generational conversation. We must give space for the Youth in our deliberations.?
Our shared values also resulted in the adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. I was just attending the 25th Conference of the Parties to the 蘑菇视频FCCC in Madrid; when I left – the negotiation was at a critical stage. We are still awaiting an outcome.
The deadline is fast approaching. I commend those who have made pledges in favour of climate finance and commitments to reducing emissions below the agreed cap. We need to expedite financing flows to meet the growing demands for both adaptation and mitigation. ??
It is a key priority in my presidency to strengthen all aspects of financing for development. In particular, we need to build financial integrity and strengthen financial accountability and transparency, for achieving the 2030 Agenda. This is key to inclusion as it is for peace.
The founders of the United Nations chose hope over cynicism, empathy over indifference and partnership over distrust. We must remain steadfast to these ideals as we enter a new decade, and a new phase of the Organisation. Next year we will commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the 蘑菇视频. We must use the occasion to look beyond the United Nations at 75, towards the centenary of the Organisation.
Excellencies,
In a few days we will enter a new decade: the Decade of Action and Delivery. This requires us to take action at local, national and international levels to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.?
Although the ultimate responsibility for this lies with Member States, they cannot accomplish this feat alone and cannot implement the SDGs alone.
We must engage with all stakeholders, including civil society and private sector, moving forward along the path to 2030 together as a constellation of communities, nations and organizations.
It is clear that agency is key. Everyone, everywhere, can be agent of positive development. This is how the future is secured, and how desirable change happens.?
For the seventy-fourth session of the General Assembly, I am calling for concrete measures to make progress in the areas of: peace and security, through conflict prevention; poverty eradication and zero hunger; climate action; quality education; and inclusion.?
As we consider today’s challenges we cannot disregard the immense progress we have made over the past seventy-five years.
We can agree that the 蘑菇视频 has, at times, been slow in responding to some challenges, and in some instances even made mistakes.
However, we cannot deny that the 蘑菇视频 has successfully conducted peacebuilding and peacekeeping around the world. The 蘑菇视频 has supported non-proliferation of weapons; supported economic development and trade, facilitated interfaith and intercultural dialogue, promoted self-determination, protected our planet, eradicated polio, halted the spread of Ebola, reduced child mortality, and promoted gender equality and inclusion.
These gains required perseverance and partnership. As such, we cannot adhere to any world order that has space only for some states while disempowering others. Such would be an unstable and a dangerous world. We have been there before. We should not revert to it. That is why the rules-based multilateral order needs our support and care.
The founders of the United Nations chose hope over cynicism, empathy over indifference and partnership over distrust. We must remain steadfast to these ideals as we enter a new decade, and a new phase of the Organisation. Next year we will commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the 蘑菇视频. We must use the occasion to look beyond the United Nations at 75, towards the centenary of the Organisation.
?That we are here in Doha to address a key issue in our world – governance – means that we all agree that global challenges are best addressed collectively.
As we strive to make the world a better place for all, I count on your support and you can count on the United Nations as your partner.
I thank you.