Talking on the eve of the tip of his mandate, Mr. Francis described his 12 months on the helm of the UN’s predominant policy-making physique as “an honour of lifetime”.
“This has been a really eventful session,” he stated.
Sustainable growth focus
The General Assembly includes all 193 UN Member States, and the veteran diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago made ‘Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability’ the watchwords for his presidency.
It started with the adoption of a landmark political declaration on the SDG Summit final September, which the Normal Meeting endorsed in its first official motion of the 78th session, “bringing urgency to our efforts to fulfil the SDGs”, he stated.
Separate Excessive-Degree Conferences on three health-related points – pandemic prevention, preparedness and response; boosting universal health coverage, and stamping out tuberculosis – additionally ended with political declarations.
“The High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, in the meantime, led to a powerful consensus on the necessity to reform the worldwide monetary structure – with a view to matching our Sustainable Growth ambitions for 2030 with the mandatory assets for implementation,” he added.
Inaugural Sustainability Week
The Normal Meeting additionally commemorated the seventy fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December with an informal plenary meeting and award ceremony for recipients of the UN Human Rights Prize.
Mr. Francis convened the Meeting’s first-ever Sustainability Week, held in April, targeted on points corresponding to tourism, transport, infrastructure and power, whereas a flagship occasion on debt sustainability highlighted the issues of nations in particular conditions.
The Week was dedicated to constructing momentum for the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, held in Could in Antigua and Barbuda, and the Summit of the Future, which begins subsequent week in New York, and to catapulting international efforts to realize sustainable growth.
“All through, we have been reminded of the central accountability to construct sustainable peace, the lynchpin of success on another pillar of the UN’s work,” stated Mr. Francis.
Emergency Particular Session resumes
He added that following the horrifying escalation of violence within the Center East, the Normal Meeting took daring motion to renew its 10th Emergency Session.
In keeping with the “Uniting for Peace” decision, which the Meeting adopted in 1950, the physique can convene an “emergency particular session” inside 24 hours ought to the Security Council “fail to train its main accountability” for the upkeep of worldwide peace and safety.
Study extra about Emergency Particular Classes in our explainer.
Center East resolutions
Mr. Francis stated the Meeting adopted three essential resolutions on this regard.
The first referred to as for the safety of civilians and upholding authorized and humanitarian obligations, whereas the second demanded an immediate ceasefire and that each one events adjust to their worldwide organizations, in addition to the discharge of all hostages and making certain humanitarian entry.
The third resolution decided that the State of Palestine is certified for UN membership and advisable that the Safety Council contemplate the matter favourably.
“These calls for by the Meeting characterize the desire of the worldwide group, and – as I’ve routinely stated on a number of events – I reiterate these calls for, forthrightly, right here right this moment. It’s time for the violence in Gaza to cease,” he stated.
Motion on gender equality
Mr. Francis additionally expressed delight in his administration’s work on gender and youth. This included re-establishing the Advisory Board on Gender Equality and frequent engagement with younger folks, whether or not at UN Headquarters or elsewhere on the earth.
The outgoing Meeting president additionally pointed to a different main achievement throughout his administration, particularly elevating higher consciousness of the menace posed by sea-level rise.
He stated Heads of State and Authorities will take up the problem later this month, “with a view to giving particular instructions for future work.”
UN Normal Meeting President Dennis Francis visiting the Kiev area in Ukraine.
A singular group
Journalists additionally requested Mr. Francis questions, together with if he was optimistic or pessimistic in regards to the UN’s means to be a key participant, given challenges such because the Center East disaster, the conflict in Ukraine and the local weather emergency.
“I am optimistic about the way forward for the UN for a lot of causes,” he responded. “As a result of there is no such thing as a different group on this planet just like the UN that has the capability or the dedication to do what the UN does. It merely doesn’t exist wherever else.”
He highlighted the UN’s energy to convene 193 international locations who can focus on their issues and issues “in a rational, civil method” within the seek for options.
“We might not at all times win in the way in which we need to win, however the values and ideas that the UN abides by, that of decision of disputes by peaceable means by negotiation and conciliation, means and permits everybody to return right here and specific their views freely and overtly on the essential problems with our instances,” he stated.
“And so, I stay bullish – to make use of a time period used within the monetary markets – I am bullish on the UN.”
