[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ hover_enabled=”0″ z_index_tablet=”0″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr. Dennis Francis,<\/strong><\/p>\n at the 2024 Parliamentary Hearing<\/strong><\/p>\n [as delivered]<\/strong><\/p>\n 8 February 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n \n \n Ms. Tulia Ackson, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,<\/p>\n \n Excellencies,<\/p>\n \n Parliamentarians of the world,<\/p>\n \n A very warm welcome to the 2024 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Parliamentary Hearing.<\/p>\n \n It is my great pleasure to co-host this annual event with Inter-Parliamentary Union President, Ms. Tulia Ackson, the third woman to head this renowned organization \u2013 and I would add, an act for the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ itself to emulate with more women in leadership roles.<\/p>\n \n It is said that parliamentarians are to society as the soul is to the body \u2013 a view I share as I hear your energy and enthusiasm resound loudly through this august chamber.<\/p>\n \n It is a sentiment clearly expressed in the opening of the preamble to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Charter \u2013 in the words \u201cWe the peoples of the United Nations\u201d, a line that reminds Governments and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Member States that they are into a unique and cherished compact with those they serve.<\/p>\n \n Maintaining this cardinal relationship is at the heart of all we do at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ \u2013 efforts that require, and are enriched by, strong, frank, and regular interactions with you the parliamentarians, who by design, embody the will of the people.<\/p>\n \n From climate change and pandemics to food insecurity and violent armed conflict \u2013 the challenges confronting us today are too big for any one nation to handle alone.<\/p>\n \n They transcend borders and weigh too heavily on any nation \u2013 big or small \u2013 and thus call for enhanced international cooperation among all nations, acting together across sectors and in collaboration with a range of stakeholders.<\/p>\n \n Concurrently, no matter the issue, we see that global agendas simply cannot succeed without advocacy and progress at the national level \u2013 and so the role of parliamentarians is indispensable to all our endeavors.<\/p>\n \n As President of the General Assembly \u2013 a universal forum, often referred to as the \u201cparliament of the world\u201d \u2013 I deeply value your partnership in channeling local concerns to the international stage; thus, informing global debates and giving real meaning and impact to our multilateral decisions.<\/p>\n \n Parliaments are essential platforms for dialogue and debate, discussion, and compromise \u2013 arts and skills that are in high demand today, as leaders increasingly resort to arms and militaries to resolve their disagreements.<\/p>\n \n For these reasons, I wholeheartedly endorse the hearing\u2019s theme \u2013 Putting an end to conflicts: Prescriptions for a peaceful future.<\/p>\n \n It comes at a critical time \u2013 a period punctuated by entrenched geopolitical tensions.<\/p>\n \n With conflict spiraling in the Middle East, the war against Ukraine entering its third year, tensions perpetually rising on the Korean peninsula and the ever-growing violence in places like Sudan, Yemen and Myanmar, it is clear that peace simply must be our foremost priority. And for good reason.<\/p>\n \n Peace is the bedrock on which everything else is built.<\/p>\n \n Peace is a top a priority of my Presidency \u2013 and a prerequisite for achieving prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all; the three other pillars of the chosen theme for this 78th session of the General Assembly.<\/p>\n \n I therefore urge you, esteemed Parliamentarians, to make the most of this two-day event \u2013 to be innovative and inquisitive, frank yet empathetic, in suggesting ways we can revive the conditions for restoring global peace and security to pave way for sustainable development, and thus to promote social justice.<\/p>\n \n Let us use this hearing as an opportunity to answer such vexing questions, as:<\/p>\n \n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How can we reinvigorate diplomacy and dialogue as the proper tools to resolve conflicts and uphold human rights?<\/p>\n \n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How can we engender better respect for international law and the purposes and principles of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Charter?<\/p>\n \n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How can we better invest in human security and guarantee the inclusion of all people and communities in the decisions we take?<\/p>\n \n \n Esteemed Parliamentarians,<\/p>\n \n More than ever before, we need your valuable ideas on how to ensure our global ambitions align with the real needs of the people on the ground.<\/p>\n \n This is all the more important, as we prepare for the Summit of the Future, where world leaders will gather here in New York in September to forge a new global consensus on how to more effectively deliver for people and planet.<\/p>\n \n As President of the General Assembly, I have prioritized this process as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fast-track our efforts towards a more peaceful, secure, and sustainable world for all.<\/p>\n \n And allow me to stress, for all.<\/p>\n \n While Member States are the main decision-makers in this process, parliamentarians are critical to delivering transformative solutions, thus positioning the multilateral system to make a meaningful difference across our societies.<\/p>\n \n In these efforts, I ask for your continued partnership.<\/p>\n \n I wish you productive deliberations on the many issues you will cover in these two days and look forward to our continued collaboration \u2013 for a shared future that is free from any fear or want.<\/p>\n \n I thank you.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Remarks by the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Dennis Francis, at the 2024 Parliamentary Hearing [as delivered] 8 February 2024 Ms. Tulia Ackson, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Excellencies, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":361,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" Remarks of the President of the General Assembly<\/p>\r\n H.E Dennis Francis<\/p>\r\n GA plenary meeting on the Monday, 30 October 2023<\/p>\r\n As Delivered<\/i><\/i><\/p>\r\nPresident of the International Criminal Court, Judge Piotr Hofmanski,<\/i><\/i>\r\n\r\nExcellencies,<\/i>\r\n\r\nDistinguished Delegates,<\/i>\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/i>\r\n\r\nToday we gather to consider the annual report of the\u00a0International Criminal Court (ICC) \u2013 a\u00a0 critical pillar of the international legal order.\r\n\r\nThe ICC stands as a perennial symbol of our shared commitment to justice and humanity\u2019s greatest aspirations.\r\n\r\nIt serves as an emphatic reminder that\u00a0no one \u2013 I repeat, no one \u2013 should be exempt from accountability for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community,\u00a0and that regardless of their status, position or location, perpetrators of such crimes will invariably face the weight of justice.\r\n\r\nIndeed, when it comes to the most egregious crimes against humanity,\u00a0 accountability knows no exceptions and justifiably so.\r\n\r\nIn those grave and heinous cases \u2013 when national legal systems prove unable or unwilling to bring perpetrators to justice \u2013 the ICC must step in.\r\n\r\nAccordingly, the ICC stands as a testament to our unshakeable resolve to end impunity, and moreover, to deter others from the commission of such crimes in the future.\r\n\r\nThe Court is indeed a truly unique embodiment of our collective resolution to upholding the principles of justice and accountability.\r\n\r\nI express my\u00a0 fulsome appreciation to the Court for its diligent efforts,\u00a0 as indeed to its judges and its prosecutor, as well as to the dedicated staff who have laudibly committed themselves to the pursuit of justice \u2013 and indeed, to what is\u00a0right<\/i>.\r\n\r\nThe report highlights both the progress and the challenges faced by the ICC this year, specifically as regards the prevention and punishment of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.\r\n\r\nThese principles are fundamental to our global vision of peace and are integral to our mission of maintaining international peace and security, promoting respect for human rights, and delivering justice to those who have suffered the gravest injustices.\r\n\r\nLadies and Gentlemen,<\/i>\r\n\r\nWe must acknowledge that the Court operates in a multifaceted international landscape.\r\n\r\nIts jurisdiction spans cases where state parties have brought situations to the attention of the Court, including situations referred by the United Nations Security Council.\r\n\r\nWhile it may present a unique set of challenges \u2013this duality in referral mechanisms underscores the importance of international cooperation.\r\n\r\nDespite these challenges, the hope for universal ratification of the Rome Statute, and the Kampala amendments, serve as a profound affirmation of the ICC's enduring commitment to justice.\r\n\r\nAs more countries join and support the ICC, the bold ambition of ending impunity for the most serious crimes becomes increasingly realistic to achieve.\r\n\r\nAs we engage in this discussion, let us remember the voices of the victims, whose suffering must compel us to take meaningful action.\r\n\r\nI underscore the\u00a0need for universal cooperation with the court among Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Member States in our common pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.\r\n\r\nI call upon States to support the ICC where it faces constraints in its pursuit of justice, including predictable funding to effectively undertake its investigations and prosecutions.\r\n\r\nIn line with the fundamental principle of complementarity, States should cooperate\u00a0with the ICC and with each other in investigations and prosecutions, including by sharing information and evidence to uphold the rule of law and ensuring accountability for the most serious crimes.\r\n\r\nLet us remain committed to strengthening the international legal framework and ensuring that the ICC continues to fulfill its essential role in our global efforts to prevent impunity and injustice and to promote lasting peace.\r\n\r\nI thank you and look forward to a fruitful discussion on this important matter.","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-275578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-speeches","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n
Report of the International Criminal Court,<\/p>\r\n