His Excellency, Ant\u00f3nio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations,
\nExcellencies,
\nDistinguished delegates,<\/p>\n
In a year dominated by health and climate crises, 2021 witnessed the invincibility of the human spirit, incredible acts of kindness, and inspiring collaborative action on many fronts.<\/p>\n
We now look ahead to 2022.<\/p>\n
I had the honor to brief you on Wednesday on my priorities and the many mandated meetings ahead of us for the resumed part of the 76th session.<\/p>\n
Today, we will hear from the Secretary-General on his priorities for the year.<\/p>\n
You will note that the Secretary-General\u2019s Report clearly outlines concrete results delivered by our Organization across all eight priority areas: Sustainable Development; Peace and Security; Development in Africa; Human Rights; Humanitarian Assistance; Justice and International Law; Disarmament; and Drugs, Crime and Terrorism.<\/p>\n
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and reflections on the Report in this debate, which for the third time is being held at the start of the resumed session.<\/p>\n
Before we do so, however, please allow me some remarks on the Report and how it aligns with the Five Rays of Hope of my Presidency.<\/p>\n
\u2022 On Recovering from COVID-19, we, as Member States, helped create COVAX, the vaccine arm of the ACT-Accelerator, which has delivered 989 million doses to 144 participant countries as of 12 January 2022.<\/p>\n
\u2022 On Rebuilding Sustainably, the United Nations helped 5 million people obtain a job or better their livelihood in 28 crisis-affected countries; and engaged with 30 Governments to build multidimensional poverty indices to improve social inclusion.<\/p>\n
\u2022 On Responding to the Needs of Our Planet, the United Nations provided access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy for 800,000 households headed by women in 16 countries; and protected or restored 344 million hectares of landscapes and marine habitats.<\/p>\n
\u2022 On Respecting the Rights of All, the United Nations supported over 8,000 victims of contemporary forms of slavery in 23 countries; and maintained 12,000 peacekeeping operations with 90,000 personnel, including over 4,000 women peacekeepers.<\/p>\n
\u2022 And on Revitalizing the United Nations, the new Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ reform structures in development, peace and security, and management, facilitated a coherent and agile response to the pandemic, saving time and money. The first statement of internal control was also signed, providing assurance to Member States that Secretariat-wide mandated activities are being implemented effectively and efficiently.<\/p>\n
Excellencies, as these results demonstrate \u2013 even in spite of the pandemic, hope perseveres, communities thrive, and societies continue to aspire for a better world.<\/p>\n
Progress and results are possible due to the political will of Member States, and the leadership of our Secretary-General, our bridge-builder who is consistently focused on ensuring, and I quote, \u201chuman dignity at the core of our work and the core of our common good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rest assured that cooperation between my Office and the Secretariat is of the utmost importance, especially as we continue discussions on the Secretary-General\u2019s report, Our Common Agenda. In this regard, I look forward to the first of our five informal thematic debates, scheduled on 10 and 11 February.<\/p>\n
Excellencies, distinguished delegates,<\/p>\n
Under a Presidency of Hope, I am committed, now more than ever, to delivering for people, for planet and for prosperity.<\/p>\n
Together, we can and will overcome the many complex challenges we face, and further strengthen the United Nations as the pinnacle of multilateralism.<\/p>\n
I thank you.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Opening Remarks by the President of the General Assembly on the Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":353,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[547,550,556,553],"committee-meeting":[],"class_list":["post-256123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-speeches","tag-ecosoc","tag-ga","tag-pga","tag-shahid","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n