Remarks by the President of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly,
Joint Briefing by the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council
20 January 2025, 3:00 p.m., Trusteeship Council
[As Delivered]
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Your?Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I begin by congratulating His Excellency Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council, for his exceptional leadership of the council thus far.
I look forward to continuing our collaboration throughout the remainder of this session.
As part of my mandate to revitalize the General Assembly, I am committed to fostering greater ¡°synergy, coherence, and complementarity¡± between the work of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.
There are numerous areas where these two bodies complement each other, and where the potential for enhancing coordination remains high.
In my vision statement, I committed to cooperate closely with other principal organs, including the Economic and Social Council so as to make sure that we promote the harmonious functioning of our common organ.
For instance, both His Excellency Bob Rae and I have prioritized the urgent need to champion gender equality.
Constructive cooperation between the two bodies has already been evident in the early months of the seventy-ninth session.
Notable examples include the Economic and Social Council¡¯s Special Meeting, ¡°Haiti¡¯s Children Cannot Wait,¡± as well as its participation in the informal briefing on the outcome of the twenty-first replenishment of the World Bank¡¯s International Development Association.
Looking ahead, upcoming events and initiatives will further advance our shared priorities and deepen collaboration.
Both the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council have critical roles to play in supporting the implementation of the Pact for the Future.
This pact, together with its annexes, provides significant momentum toward advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
A key pillar of this effort is financing for development. The upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development represents a vital opportunity to push these commitments further.
Therefore, as part of my priorities, I will intensify advocacy on financing for development to ensure that the needs of developing countries are prioritized.
In the same spirit, I will convene a meeting next month with the Inter-Parliamentary Union to explore ways to scale up action on financing for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Similarly, I look forward to the Economic and Social Council¡¯s Forum on Financing for Development and other meetings, which will serve as another crucial moment to underscore the urgency of these efforts.
Additionally, I will continue to advocate for the urgent need to reform the International Financial Architecture to make it fairer and more equitable.
Such reforms are essential to ensuring that developing countries have greater access to the resources they so critically need for sustainable development.
Another key priority of mine as President of the General Assembly, closely aligned with the priorities of the Economic and Social Council, is leveraging science, innovation and digitalisation to turbocharge the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
In this regard, I will convene in May the interactive, multi-stakeholder dialogue to assess the implementation of commitments made towards Africa¡¯s development with a focus on digitalisation.
Therefore, the Economic and Social Council¡¯s Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation will also represent another opportunity for close collaboration with the General Assembly.
To further promote and foster greater engagement on sustainable development, I also look forward to participating in, amongst others the Economic and Social Council¡¯s:
- Partnership Forum,
- Sixty-third session of the Commission for Social Development,
- Commission on the Status of Women,
- Commission on Population and Development, among others.
- As well as the Youth Forum.
I also look forward to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development this summer.
Notably, this year¡¯s High-Level Political Forum will focus on Sustainable Development Goal 14 ¨C to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for?sustainable development.
This focus aligns closely with the work of the General Assembly, particularly as the Third United Nations Ocean Conference is set to take place in June.
Our shared efforts also extend into the realm of peace and security.
The President of the Economic and Social Council and I will address the issue of small arms and light weapons through a comprehensive approach by convening a joint meeting to examine the multifaceted impacts of their illicit flows and misuse.
The meeting, which we are aiming at holding it?in March,?will bring together both security and socio-economic perspectives, aiming to provide a unified and comprehensive response to the challenges posed by small arms and light weapons.
Excellencies,
I conclude by once again thanking His Excellency Bob Rae for his leadership and cooperation.
I look forward to strengthening the partnership between the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council to fulfil our collective vision of sustainable development, equity, and progress for all.
I thank you.
Media Contacts
Sharon Birch,?Spokesperson for?the President of the General?Assembly,?Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org
Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org