A/62/PV.99 General Assembly

I now give the floor to the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Her Excellency Mrs. Asha-Rose Migiro.

Allow me to warmly congratulate Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-third session. Mr. d’Escoto Brockmann brings to the job decades of experience, not only on the international scene, but in the humanitarian arena as well. His long and varied career will serve him well here at the United Nations, where momentum is already building towards the next session of the Assembly. Indeed, preparations are under way for the Secretary-General and the President of the Assembly to jointly convene a high-level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals. The aim is to push for accelerated progress in reaching those critical targets to improve living conditions for the world’s poorest people. That is just one of many major milestones planned for the next session, but, as always, there will also be a great deal of steady, painstaking work to address the broad ranging issues on the United Nations agenda and to help the Organization keep pace with emerging developments and demands. The world is increasingly turning to the United Nations to solve global problems, and the work of the General Assembly is critical to meeting those high expectations. By joining forces under the leadership of the President, we can forge effective responses that will make a difference in the lives of millions of people across the world. I want to assure Mr. d’Escoto Brockmann, on behalf of the Secretary-General, of our full support as he prepares to take office and during his tenure as President. We look forward to working closely with him to rise to the many challenges we face by strengthening the United Nations so that it can better serve the peoples in whose name our Charter was adopted.

I thank the Deputy Secretary- General for her statement. I now call on the representative of Egypt, who will speak on behalf of the Group of African States.

It is my great pleasure to speak today on behalf of the African Group to congratulate the President-elect of the General Assembly at its sixty-third session, Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann of the Republic of Nicaragua, representing the Latin American and Caribbean States. His election by acclamation today is a clear reflection of our full trust in his ability to lead our work and a sign of confidence in his vast experience and exceptional qualifications, which will promote and push forward our extensive work in the General Assembly. The sixty-third session will convene in September 2008 at a time when the international community is facing many new challenges: climate change, food security, energy and increased fluctuations in financial markets, along with the pressing challenges of enhancing development activities in Africa and achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, which will be among the subjects of the first high-level debates and actions of the sixty-third session and are largely connected to the development challenges facing many of the developing countries. We hope those issues will be addressed through many conferences to come, including the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus and others. The African Group has full confidence that President-elect d’Escoto Brockmann has the necessary multidimensional experience and qualifications that would allow him to successfully lead our efforts towards, inter alia, fighting poverty, disease, organized crime, trafficking in persons and narcotic drugs, terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and small arms and light weapons, and will play a significant role in preventing and resolving conflicts, peacebuilding, ensuring respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly for women and children, and promoting dialogue among civilizations, as well as in the reform of the United Nations and the revitalization of the Assembly. The African Group fully trusts that President- elect d’Escoto Brockmann will continue to build on the progress and successes achieved through the dynamism of President Srgjan Kerim in enhancing the ability of the Assembly to effectively and urgently respond to the needs of all peoples around the world and to guide the General Assembly to assume its central responsibilities as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations, as well as its role in the process of standard-setting, the codification of international law and ensuring its full respect. The African Group will extend its full support to the President-elect in fulfilling all its aspirations and the aspirations of all States Members of the Organization.

I call now on the representative of Kazakhstan, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Asian States.

On behalf of the Group of Asian States, I have the honour to express warm wishes and congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann of the Republic of Nicaragua on his election as President of the General Assembly for its sixty-third session. Mr. d’Escoto Brockmann’s impressive experience and wide-ranging professional achievements in the pursuits of international diplomacy and politics will without doubt be of great value in guiding Member States through the important and complex issues before them, and in maintaining our momentum so that we can attain the main objective of this body, namely long-term peace, security and prosperity. I wish to assure the President- elect that in the discharge of his duties as President of the Assembly at its sixty-third session he will be able to count on the dedicated support of the States members of the Asian Group, and we wish him every success in his new mission. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude to you, Mr. Srgjan Kerim, for your tireless efforts and commitment during the sixty-second session. Your extensive skill, leadership and dedication have been essential for the achievement of the successful outcome of the session during this most crucial period for the Assembly.

I now give the floor to the representative of Armenia, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States.

On behalf of the Group of Eastern European States, I would like to extend sincere congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann of the Republic of Nicaragua on his election as President of the General Assembly for its sixty-third session. Mr. d’Escoto Brockmann served as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua for more than a decade, and he will bring his extensive political experience to the leadership of the General Assembly. It will be his task to manage a number of important ongoing reforms that are vital to the future of the Organization and the international community. We are confident that he will continue the noteworthy work of Mr. Kerim, who has initiated a number of significant projects and discussions. Mr. d’Escoto Brockmann’s brilliant education and profound knowledge of worldly affairs are augmented by spiritual depth, tolerance and compassion, all of which are in great demand in the contemporary world. On behalf of the Eastern European Group, I would like to assure Mr. d’Escoto Brockmann that the Group stands ready to support his initiatives and to assist him in all his undertakings for the future strengthening of the United Nations.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Bahamas, who will make a statement on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.

I speak on behalf of the States members of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States: States of the region from which the President-elect of the General Assembly for the sixty- third session hails. Approximately two and a half months ago, on 14 March 2008, our Group unanimously endorsed the candidacy of Father Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann to preside over the Assembly at its upcoming session, beginning in September. We congratulate him and our sister country Nicaragua on his election by acclamation today. Father Miguel d’Escoto’s formal education in journalism has served as a background for the wide variety of activities and undertakings in which he has been engaged over the years, including working in the poorer communities of Santiago, Chile, in the 1960s, establishing the Orbis Books publishing house in the 1970s, and serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990. He is no stranger to the United Nations or to other international and regional organizations and forums. Equally important and impressive is the extensive nature of Father Miguel’s travels. In addition to his travels throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, he has also visited the majority of countries in Africa and Europe, and numerous countries in Asia as well. The first-hand knowledge and understanding of so many Member States, his constituents, provided by his travels should serve him well in the role that he will play as President of the General Assembly. The issues to be addressed at the next session are myriad and challenging: climate change, development, poverty and energy, to name a few. But we are confident that Father d’Escoto will lead us well in these undertakings. Not surprisingly, Father Miguel has received many awards and decorations attesting to his dedication, hard work and many contributions to the betterment of humankind. The States members of our Group applaud his many accomplishments. Once again, we sincerely congratulate him, a son of the region, on his election to the post of President of the General Assembly for the sixty-third session, and we assure him of our full support and cooperation.

I now give the floor to the representative of Spain, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Western European and other States.

In my capacity as Chairman of the Group of Western European and other States, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann of the Republic of Nicaragua on his election as President of the General Assembly for the sixty-third session. Mr. d’Escoto’s election is recognition of Nicaragua’s important contribution to the United Nations over the years and since its inception. Mr. d’Escoto will assume the presidency of the Assembly at a time when the United Nations faces many challenges. We are confident that the General Assembly will benefit from Mr. d’Escoto’s experience as a politician and as a diplomat as he works to unite Member States on issues of concern to us all. I would like to assure Mr. d’Escoto that he can rely on the full support of the Group of Western European and other States as he carries out his responsibilities towards that end. On a personal note, as Permanent Representative of Spain — and I could add as an old friend — let me add that I am particularly glad to see such a distinguished representative of Nicaragua and the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States assuming the important functions of the presidency of the General Assembly. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to commend your leadership of the General Assembly during the current session. Your leadership has been fundamental in securing the significant achievements that have already marked the General Assembly’s sixty-second session, especially regarding the continuation of the reform process under way at the United Nations, and in dealing with a host of new and challenging issues facing the international community today. We look forward to working with you in the remaining three months of your term of office to help complete the items still pending on the General Assembly’s agenda and to ensure a smooth transition until the new presidency begins next September under the leadership of President-elect d’Escoto.

I now give the floor to the representative of Cuba, who will speak on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the States members of the Non-Aligned Movement in warmly congratulating His Excellency Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann for his well-deserved election as President of the General Assembly for the sixty-third session. For the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries it is particularly gratifying to see the election of a worthy representative of the brotherly Republic of Nicaragua, a prestigious and active member of our movement. We are fully convinced that Mr. d’Escoto will brilliantly carry out the responsibility that we have bestowed upon him today. His outstanding statement this morning is proof of his vision, the values of which we share, and his firm commitment to move towards the achievement of the noble purposes and principles of our Organization. I would like to take this opportunity also to thank His Excellency Srgjan Kerim for his excellent work as President of the current session. There are many complex challenges that the next President of the General Assembly and the officers of the Main Committees will have to face. It is more urgent than ever today to continue to make progress towards the goal of revitalizing and strengthening the General Assembly. The Non-Aligned Movement believes that the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly is a decisive component of the overall reform of the United Nations. The States members of the movement are ready to work with the new President of the Assembly in continuing to strengthen the General Assembly’s role as the principal deliberative, normative and representative organ of the United Nations. I would like to conclude by reiterating on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement our warmest congratulations to Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann and wishing him every success in his work. He can rest assured that he will always be able to count on the full cooperation and support of the Non-Aligned Movement.

We have thus concluded our consideration of agenda item 4. Drawing of lots for the seating protocol for the sixty- third regular session The President: As announced in the Journal, we will now proceed to the drawing of lots to determine which Member State will occupy the first seat in the General Assembly Hall at the sixty-third session. In accordance with established practice, the Secretary- General usually draws the name of one Member State from a box containing the names of the States members of the General Assembly. The delegation whose name has been drawn will occupy the first seat in the General Assembly Hall, and the other countries will follow in English alphabetical order. The same order will be observed in the Main Committees. In the absence of the Secretary-General, I now invite the Deputy Secretary-General to proceed with the drawing of lots. Having been drawn by lot by the Deputy Secretary-General, Barbados was chosen to occupy the first seat in the General Assembly Hall at the sixty-third session. The President: I wish to inform members that, immediately after the adjournment of this meeting, consecutive meetings of the First Committee, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), and the Second, Third, Fifth and Sixth Committees will be held in this Hall to elect the members of their respective Bureaux. Thereafter, the General Assembly will hold its 100th plenary meeting to elect the 21 Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly for the sixty-third session.