13 October 2022

Thank you very much Mr. Chairman,

Excellencies,

I congratulate His Excellency Ambassador?José Alfonso?Blanco Conde of the Dominican Republic, and members of the?Bureau as they lead the work?of this Committee.

But now, I would like to take you?out of your comfort zone.

We are at a critical moment. A watershed moment.

I have spoken at length about the interlocking challenges that we face.

Armed conflict, illegal annexations, the undeniable devastation of the environment, climate change, rising xenophobia, increasing inequalities… and the list goes on.

Worldwide, human rights have suffered as a result of these crises.

These crises are deeply interconnected and need to be addressed?as a whole.

They require?immediate?answers,?and sustainable solutions.

Business as usual is?not?an option.

Let me state plainly:

I expect the resolutions of this Committee to be?more?than technical.

Never forget that human rights are intrinsically linked to our own?humanity.

They are undeniable. Inalienable. They should be respected.

This Committee plays a critical role in guiding actions on the ground.

Your responsibility therefore is huge.

For these reasons, I ask three things of you.

?

First, make your resolutions understandable.

The Third Committee is a place of “living texts”.

We are here to serve the 8 billion constituents who are counting on us.?

To be impact-oriented, our decisions have to be?understood?by them.?

Implementation depends on this.

Ask yourself:

Can I explain?the relevance of my resolutions, of my work and how it is contributing to making the world a better place – in one minute?

True relevance shall be boiled down to sixty seconds in a time of crisis.

Number 2: Listen and engage with one another.

For many of you, this is will be your?first?session sitting in the Committee negotiations in-person.

Take advantage of this newfound opportunity.

The essence of diplomacy is human relations.?

The two and half years of virtual interactions have contributed to the?erosion of trust?between delegations.

This year, you?cannot?turn off your cameras.

Use this session of the Third Committee to engage in honest dialogue.

Be present in the room.?Listen?to each other.

Hear the voices of the Youth Delegates.

Rely on the support of the 蘑菇视频 system.

Use the advice and experience of the civil society organisations.

I am pleased that the Chair has held a briefing with civil society already.???

I hope this practice will continue during the whole session.

Number 3: View all of your work through the lens of crisis management and transformation.

The answers of the 20th?century may not be the best for today’s questions.?

We need?profound changes in many of our social, economic and political processes.

But transformation does not come cheap.

Scientists would tell you that, in order to transform,

  • we have to?challenge?existing arrangements;
  • we should come up with?game-changers, valid and robust alternatives;
  • we need?visions, and
  • we must create enabling?conditions?for realizing our visions.?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Everyone?must be part of the solution.

This includes women, who, despite representing half of humanity, are still often stripped of their human rights.

Today, up to 10 million girls are newly at risk of child marriage.

We see renewed efforts to keep girls out of school in some regions.

Such attitudes would perpetuate gender gaps – and that will seriously hinder our possibilities to build a better world.

But many women and girls refuse to be defined as victims only.

They are agents of change.

Show them they are?not?alone.

Mr. Chairman,

All human beings are born free and equal.

We know that phrase and we know where it comes from.

Yet, we?cannot?state that this is today’s reality.

No country has a perfect track record.

This Committee’s role is to ensure that the rights of?all?people are respected.

Regardless of gender, race, belief or political affiliation.

Regardless of ethnicity, language, sexual orientation and gender identity or migration status.

The Third Committee’s work will range:

  • from violence against women to trafficking in persons;
  • from the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, to those of migrant workers;
  • from the moratorium on the death penalty to freedom of religion or belief.
  • ?

But, most importantly, from?problems?to?solutions.

And solutions do not emerge organically.?You?create the solutions.?You?make the change.

You can show the world not only how connected our problems are, but?how connected our solutions can be, too.

Look?beyond?the individual silos.

Look?beyond?the Third Committee.

Engage with the 蘑菇视频 system.

And get familiar with this basement. It might be your?home, sweet home?for the next few months.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am here to build bridges.

My?job is to help you come to meaningful decisions.

Your?job is to find solutions that make the world a better place.

As President of the General Assembly, I am supported by a Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs team that will be your partners in this endeavor.

I thank you and wish you every success.