A/77/PV.30 General Assembly

We face multifaceted, complex and interlinked crises. The General Assembly, which is the central platform and main vehicle for multilateral diplomacy, must respond. Crisis management and transformation are urgently needed. The question is: are we up to that dual challenge? My answer would be — not yet. In order for our work to make a difference to the peoples outside the General Assembly Hall and the Member States, we must further revitalize this institution. Our ability to retain the relevance of the General Assembly depends on our ability to adapt its work to the challenges of the twenty-first century. As Charles Darwin once said, it is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change. The 2023 Sustainable Development Goals Summit and the 2024 Summit of the Future will be two milestone events, not just for the General Assembly but for the entire world. The Assembly needs an integrated approach so that it can make the best of those important opportunities. For that purpose, I have decided to utilize the General Committee as the body for coordinating and streamlining the various processes mandated by the General Assembly. As members of the Assembly know, I recently held the first informal meeting with the members of the General Committee and the co-facilitators of those processes. I was pleased to listen to the discussions, and I plan to build on them. I hope that initiative will become a part of our concerted efforts towards making the work of the General Assembly more synchronized and impactful so that it can cater to the needs of the world. While the goal of revitalizing the General Assembly is a broad and general one, the actual work involved is often technical. The work is sometimes time-consuming and frustrating, but it can and does change the Assembly in a very concrete manner. Resolution 75/325 — the most recent resolution adopted on this item — biennialized its consideration, which allowed for more consultations and deeper examination of specific key topics. Our further work on revitalizing the Assembly should help it to better focus on the most burning issues, become more impact-oriented in conducting its business and be more able to reach concrete solutions that are relevant to the world. To that end, we can use solidarity and science-based decisions to shape and improve the impact of our work. That is the approach I would like to continue taking with regard to revitalizing the work of the General Assembly. My special thanks go to Ambassadors Fifield of Australia and González López of El Salvador for once again taking on the responsibility of leading this process as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly. We expect a draft resolution on the revitalization of the General Assembly to be adopted at this session. Two years ago, Member States decided that the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group at the seventy-seventh session should focus on the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General, as well as strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly. One of those two topics is directly connected to my Office, and I am willing to offer views and input to contribute to the work of the Working Group. I trust that Member States will also extend their full support and cooperation to the co-Chairs throughout this session. I look forward to hearing solutions-oriented discussions among everyone and seeing creative ideas put forward to make our Assembly even better suited to tackling the challenges of this new era we have reached. Members will address practical and technical matters in the discussions to come, but I ask them to please always keep in mind the larger, broader strategic objective of this exercise, which is to serve the 8 billion people who count on our help. By making the General Assembly work and focus better, we can make multilateralism stronger. And by strengthening multilateralism, we can bring more peace, human rights and sustainable development to our constituents all over the world.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). At the outset, ASEAN would like to thank Ambassadors Egriselda González López of El Salvador and Mitchell Fifield of Australia for their stewardship as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly at the seventy-sixth session and congratulate them on their reappointment for the seventy-seventh session. We commend the co-Chairs for their commitment, look forward to productive discussions under their able leadership and would like to reassure Member States of ASEAN’s full support and cooperation to that end. ASEAN welcomes the continuity and momentum of the work of the revitalization of the General Assembly following the adoption of resolution 75/325 in 2021. We appreciate the convening of the four formal meetings of the Ad Hoc Working Group, which will allow Member States to engage broadly, guided by the thematic issues on the role and authority of the General Assembly and its working methods. We reiterate the important role of the Main Committees in complementing the work of the Working Group towards further revitalizing the General Assembly. Building a multilateral system that remains relevant for responding to emerging challenges continues to be one of ASEAN’s focuses. Our common goal is to protect the primacy and credibility of the General Assembly, which is underpinned by its ability to function effectively and efficiently within the parameters set out in the Charter of the United Nations. Taking that into account, we support the suggestion that the Ad Hoc Working Group remain focused on specific clusters at the seventy-sixth and seventy- seventh sessions. ASEAN would also like to highlight two additional points with regard to the two clusters slated for discussion by the Working Group at the seventy- seventh session. First, with regard to strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the Assembly, ASEAN attaches great importance to enhancing the effectiveness of the Office of the President in serving the best interests and aspirations of all Member States. In that regard, ASEAN welcomed the successful conclusion in September of the second transition workshop for the Office of the President, which aimed at strengthening institutional memory, preserving best practices and working methods and supporting smooth transitions between presidencies. We also commend the invaluable briefings on the revitalization process delivered by the previous co-Chairs to members of the Office of the President during the workshop. The General Assembly is the main deliberative — and the most representative — organ of the United Nations. In that context, ASEAN strongly feels that the Office of the President of the General Assembly should not continue to be mainly dependent on voluntary contributions and the secondment of officers from Member States and the sending country of the President. In that regard, ASEAN fully supports the call for the Office of the President of the General Assembly to be strengthened with adequate human and financial resources through the regular budget. Secondly, with regard to the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads, their crucial role in leading and managing the United Nations and its bodies merits attentive judgment and careful selection. ASEAN continues to call for a transparent and open selection process for the position of Secretary-General and the other executive heads of the United Nations system, with due consideration for equitable geographical distribution and representation, as well as gender balance. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the General Assembly remain the most democratic organ to represent our collective voice. On that note, ASEAN believes that Member States need to find ways to reinvigorate and further revitalize the work of the Assembly. Let me conclude by reaffirming ASEAN’s commitment to engaging with all delegations in the revitalization process in the spirit of inclusivity, transparency and constructive dialogue.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries (NAM), one of the largest cross-regional groups, which consists of 120 Member States. At the outset, allow me to express our appreciation to the co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly, Mr. Mitchell Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia, and Mrs. Egriselda González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, for their able leadership and dedication to the process of revitalization at the seventy-sixth session of the Assembly. The Non-Aligned Movement affirms its commitment to multilateralism and continuing to work to revitalize the Assembly. We consider it important to sustain momentum on this issue, which remains a crucial priority. It is also an occasion to uphold the universal values and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and ensure that our Organization is fit for purpose. In its statements at the informal meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group, the Non-Aligned Movement reiterated that the revitalization of the General Assembly is indeed a critical component of the comprehensive reform of the United  Nations. A revitalized Assembly significantly contributes to strengthening the wider United  Nations system, improving global governance and reinvigorating multilateralism. In that respect, the Non-Aligned Movement considers it important to acknowledge that building on the previous achievements and resolutions of the General Assembly on the revitalization of its work helps to enhance its role, authority, efficiency and effectiveness. We believe that there have been sustained efforts and important progress in making the General Assembly’s work more focused and relevant. Those efforts should be continued with the support and political will of all Member States in order to achieve even greater progress and overcome the persistent differences regarding the various issues relating to the four clusters on the agenda of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly. A full evaluation of the status of the implementation of the Assembly’s resolutions and a clear identification of the underlying causes behind any lack in that regard remain important if we are to gradually eliminate the continuing constraints that prevent the process of revitalizing the General Assembly from living up to its potential. In that connection, we look forward to focusing the discussions at the current session on strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly and on the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads, as outlined in resolution 75/325, which was adopted by consensus. The Non-Aligned Movement welcomed the progress made in the resolution, which reflects Member States’ commitment to a more efficient and revitalized General Assembly by taking forward a number of important issues in support of a stronger Organization and a reinvigorated multilateralism. We appreciate that concrete steps were agreed and an action-oriented approach was adopted in the resolution, as well as the shift towards its biennialization. That approach offers an opportunity to focus more on implementation and advance the goals of efficiency and effectiveness  — goals that we are all aiming for. We acknowledge the important elements of the resolution, including those pertaining to the improvement of the General Assembly and its Main Committees, the rationalization of side events and high-level meetings held on the margins of the general debate, the initiatives to strengthen the work of the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the enhancement of the Assembly’s role in the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General. With regard to the role and authority of the General Assembly, the Non-Aligned Movement reaffirms the importance of preserving the intergovernmental, inclusive and democratic nature of the United Nations, as well as the need for strict respect for the Charter- based prerogatives of the Organization’s principal organs, in particular the General Assembly. We also continue to call for improving the relationship and interaction between the General Assembly and the Security Council, which are mutually reinforcing and complementary. The Non-Aligned Movement is of the view that working methods are only one step in making more substantive improvements aimed at restoring and enhancing the role and authority of the General Assembly. We continue to stress the need to rationalize its work. The number of high-level and side events organized in parallel with the general debate should therefore be kept to a critical minimum in order to preserve and strengthen the sanctity of the general debate. In recognizing the role of the use of information and communication technologies in the work of the Organization under exceptional circumstances, we would like to once again underscore the exceptional nature of the working methods adopted by the General Assembly during the coronavirus disease pandemic, as well as the need to maintain strict compliance with the Assembly’s rules of procedure, which must continue to guide its work. We appreciate the fact that the resolution consolidates the achievements made with regard to the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General, including through the circulation of a joint letter, as well as the holding of informal dialogues guided by the principles of transparency and inclusiveness. We also welcome the reference to the fact that we have still not seen a woman Secretary-General. The Non-Aligned Movement considers it equally important to firmly support the further enhancement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the Office of the President of the General Assembly and recognizes the necessity of conducting an in-depth review of the Office’s functioning at the seventy-seventh session. In conclusion, the Non-Aligned Movement remains convinced that we should all collectively continue to build on what has already been achieved and identify areas in which we may achieve further tangible progress so that we can improve the overall work and role of the General Assembly. The Non-Aligned Movement remains fully engaged in contributing to that common endeavour. We therefore reaffirm our commitment to participating constructively in the process of revitalizing the General Assembly’s work at the current session with the aim of strengthening its role as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United  Nations, in accordance with the provisions of the Charter. NAM reaffirms the role and authority of the General Assembly, including in addressing questions related to international peace and security. The Movement wishes to express its objection to the increased encroachment of the Security Council on matters that clearly fall within the prerogatives and powers of the General Assembly and its subsidiary organs. NAM reaffirms the importance of preserving the intergovernmental, inclusive and democratic nature of the United  Nations, as well as the need for strict respect for the Charter-based prerogatives of the United Nations principal organs, in particular the General Assembly. We will continue to provide support towards achieving inclusiveness, transparency and efficiency in the United Nations. In that context, the Non-Aligned Movement reaffirms its commitment to continue contributing effectively and constructively to the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly. In addition, NAM stands ready to cooperate with the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, as well as Secretary-General António Guterres, in order to strengthen the role of the General Assembly. The Non-Aligned Movement stresses the importance of preserving the inclusive intergovernmental nature of future negotiations.

I now give the floor to the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this session’s first plenary meeting on the issue of the revitalization of the General Assembly. I deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States. The countries Türkiye, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia align themselves with this statement. We feel reassured by your commitment, Mr. President, to treating this file with the utmost priority and look forward to your guidance and leadership. We also strongly support your decision to reappoint, for the seventy-seventh session of the Assembly, both co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly for the previous session, Ambassadors Egriselda González López of El Salvador and Mitchell Fifield of Australia, in keeping with the notion of never changing a winning team. From the onset, the co-Chairs provided for a structured and targeted work programme, with a focus on implementing what was agreed in resolution 75/325. We know we are in very good hands, and are confident that we can make further progress at this session. The President’s letter of 25 August, which contains a summary of the key proposals made at the previous session, provides an excellent basis for our work, and we look forward to receiving the comprehensive report in the course of this month. We clearly share the assessment of the co-Chairs that the previous session delivered on the hoped-for benefits of biennialization, giving us the space to discuss issues more in depth without the pressure of having to adopt a draft resolution. We therefore encourage the further biennialization and triennialization of other resolutions. And we count on your renewed guidance, Sir, with clear timelines and a precise and realistic programme of work, and feel reassured by your remarks this morning. We also very much welcomed your comments at last week’s General Committee meeting. To use a sports analogy, the club’s management is well aligned and now we the players need to deliver. Resolution 75/325  — in which we agreed to focus not exclusively but as a priority on the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the selection and appointment process of the Secretary- General  — provides our road map for the current session, together with the summary prepared by the co-Chairs. At the same time, the two chapters discussed in detail at the previous session remain the bread and butter of our work and will certainly be given due attention in the light of negotiating the adoption of an all-encompassing resolution by the end of the session. We also lend our support to many of the concrete proposals in the co-Chairs’ summary, such as making better use of the General Committee, hand-over meetings between outgoing and incoming committee Chairs and a voluntary pledge to limit the number of side events during the general debate. We also encourage you, Sir, to continue in the footsteps of you predecessor when it comes to efforts towards achieving gender parity for high-level and other meetings of the General Assembly and embedding gender equality into the working methods of this organ. We also count on your support in strengthening multilingualism as a core value of the Organization. Turning to the two chapters we agreed to discuss as a priority at the current session, when it comes to the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General, we further improved the process during the seventy- fifth session by ensuring that the Organization gets the best possible leadership, which is chosen in a process that adheres to the highest standards in terms of open, inclusive and transparent conduct. We also welcome the reference in resolution 75/325 to encourage Member States to put forward more female candidates for the highest office, in the recognition that the Organization has not yet seen a female Secretary-General. With regard to the chapter on the Office of the President of the General Assembly, we acknowledge the President of the General Assembly’s key role in steering the work of this body, and we therefore consider efforts to further strengthen the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of his Office to be essential. We fully recognize the need for the President to have an adequately staffed and adequately funded office to be able to fulfil his role and mandate. At the same time, we strongly commend the approach that you, Mr. President, have adopted by taking a thorough look at the real needs instead of simply calling for more staff. Further streamlining and prioritizing the work of this organ, in line with our agreed priorities as enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), should remain our guiding principle. In line with Our Common Agenda, we strongly encourage you, Mr. President, to facilitate the active and systematic engagement of young people and other stakeholders in our work. That is the best way to ensure inclusiveness, transparency and accountability. The Assembly can count on the EU’s constructive engagement throughout this session.

I am honoured to take the floor on behalf of the 27 members of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency (ACT) group. The group is comprised of Austria, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Gabon, Ghana, Hungary, Ireland, Jordan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Maldives, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Portugal, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay and my own country, Costa Rica. The ACT group promotes a more transparent and efficient United Nations. We believe that the process of the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly constitutes an important avenue towards achieving that goal. We welcome the adoption of resolution 75/325 and value the constructive discussions held at the previous session by Mrs. Egriselda González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, and Mr. Mitchell Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia, and thank them for guiding our work. We take note of the summary of discussions that was circulated with relevant suggestions on how to improve the role and authority of the General Assembly, its working methods and other cross-cutting issues. That constitutes a very useful input for our negotiations. We look forward to another productive session under their able leadership. The ACT group is keen to continue the excellent collaboration with all Member States and groups of States towards the adoption a new resolution at the current session. As you, Mr. President, mentioned at the most recent meeting of the General Committee, held on 28 October, the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly is a critical component of the overall reform of the United Nations. According to the most recent resolution on that topic (resolution 75/325), we agreed that the primary focus at the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly would be on strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, as well as on the transparent and inclusive selection and appointment process of the Secretary-General and other executive heads. In that regard, the current session takes on particular significance as an opportunity to put in place a predictable and transparent timeline for the Secretary-General selection process to begin at the eightieth session of the General Assembly. Agreeing an indicative time frame for the process would ease procedural burdens and improve the clarity of the process for Member States and candidates alike. As ACT group proposed previously, we would suggest the starting point of the process to be October of the year preceding the appointment, with a deadline of April of the appointment year for the presentation of candidates, in order to ensure a transparent and predictable process. At the seventy-fifth session, we began crucial discussions on that and two other aspects of the nomination and selection process of the Secretary- General, which are still pending: first, the prospect of multiple candidates being recommended; and secondly, the term of the office of the Secretary-General. We consider clarifications in those three areas to be vital in order to ensure a process with the greatest possible transparency and inclusiveness. That is undoubtedly what is expected from us as an Assembly in that most crucial matter. We must continue to build on resolutions 69/321 of 2015 and 70/305 of 2016, which constitute the framework of the truly historic, inclusive and transparent process of the selection and appointment of the current Secretary-General, which continues to provide the basis of our efforts. We look forward to continuing the discussion, and we recall the ACT Group’s position paper and lessons learned document on the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General, which were transmitted to the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council and circulated to all Member States in documents A/76/950, A/75/755 and A/72/514, of 16 September 2022, 17 February 2021 and 9 October 2017, respectively. The ACT group continues to stress the importance of the annual report of the Security Council to the General Assembly. We continue to call for the report to be submitted to the Assembly on time. In that respect we acknowledge the observation by the Security Council in recent years of that timeline, as set out in presidential note S/2019/997. We now challenge the Council to build on its excellent progress. The Assembly would no doubt benefit from an even shorter period between the end of the year in question and the debate on the report in order to allow for a more timely and relevant discussion. We hope that consultations with the broader membership can be organized, in line with paragraph 129 of presidential note S/2017/507, in order to assess the work of the Council ahead of the drafting of the introduction of the report. We reiterate that the Council should make better use of the annual report to provide a more complete, substantive and analytical account of its work to the General Assembly, as recently called for repeatedly by the Assembly. The annual report must also reflect the special reports of the Council. The use of special reports is an important innovation that brings Security Council practice closer in line with the Charter of the United Nations. We thank the Council for its consistent production of special reports in line with resolution 76/262. Going forward, we note that special reports can also be used in other scenarios in order to ensure that the General Assembly is kept informed. In terms of substance, we encourage the codification of lessons learned from the coronavirus disease pandemic in order to prepare for future contingencies and preserve institutional memory in working methods. We also suggest including further analysis on the draft resolutions that failed to be adopted by the Council, including, when applicable, the use of the veto. In that regard, we recall the important mechanism adopted by the General Assembly to ensure accountability on the use of the veto under resolution 76/262. In conclusion, the ACT group will continue its focus this session on the important role and authority of the General Assembly. In times of increasing tensions and divisions within the international community, a strong and efficient General Assembly could not be more important. In times when parts of the United Nations system are unable to fulfil their mandate, the General Assembly bears a special responsibility. It needs to step up to ensure peace and protect the Charter of the United Nations. In that regard, we saw that the General Assembly was able to step up when a veto was cast in the Security Council. The veto initiative is crucial for ensuring accountability within the United Nations system and strengthening the role of the General Assembly. The ACT group looks forward to working with all Member States to agree focused and targeted solutions during the upcoming thematic discussions and sessions and dialogues of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly. We remain committed to making a concrete contribution to promoting a more transparent, efficient and coherent United Nations, and thereby a strengthened multilateral system, with the United Nations at its core.

At the outset, my delegation would like to express its sincere gratitude to Mr. Mitchell Fifield and Mrs. Egriselda González López, Permanent Representatives of Australia and El Salvador, respectively, for their leadership as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly at the seventy- sixth session. The United  Nations embodies the hopes of all, irrespective of status, class or gender, and of those who believe in peaceful dialogue to solve global problems. Within the United  Nations, the General Assembly remains the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ. It stands at the centre of our multilateral system. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that the General Assembly remains effective and efficient in fulfilling the functions outlined under the Charter of the United  Nations. A stronger United  Nations requires a more robust General Assembly. Continual efforts have been made in the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly. In that regard, we welcome the transparency in the selection and appointment process of the Secretary-General, as well as the recent enhancement of the relationship and coordination among the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council. We also applaud the continuous encouragement to seek gender balance and geographical representation in the distribution of the Chairs and Bureau members of the Main Committee, as well as among invited speakers and panellists. The United  Nations, in particular the General Assembly, must keep pace with and respond to the rapid changes taking place in the world. That was evident during the worst of the coronavirus disease outbreak, when Member States remained firmly committed to keeping the General Assembly functioning despite the limitations. Moreover, strengthening coordination among the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council is vital and will enhance and reinforce accountability, coherence and transparency among the three main bodies. We also saw Member States of the General Assembly stepping up to uphold global peace and security — a principle enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations — by convening the eleventh emergency special session this year when the Security Council failed to effectively address the challenge. We also welcome the adoption of the veto initiative contained in resolution 76/262 — a resolution that Maldives was happy to co-sponsor. Therefore, the Maldives supports increasing the substantial role and moral authority of the General Assembly. The Maldives believes that improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the General Assembly is critical  — an overarching objective outlined in resolution 75/325. Many resolutions are recycled year after year with few substantive updates and without mechanisms for assessing their implementation. Furthermore, as outlined in the Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), our focus must be on implementation rather than increasing the number of new resolutions and mandates. In that regard, we must do more to reduce the content and number of resolutions. We must continue to implement our decision to biennialize and streamline resolutions. That would allow us to free up resources to address more pressing issues, such as concrete measures to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We also welcome the decision of the Ad Hoc Working Group to focus primarily on strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the procedure for the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads at the seventy-seventh session. In order to improve the accountability and transparency of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, the Secretariat can strengthen the induction programme through enhanced content and more efficient delivery in order to equip the staff with adequate knowledge and skills. Moreover, the institutional memory of the Office can be strengthened by retaining high-level employees in order to decrease the learning curve with regard to the internal workings of the United Nations. Despite the progress made in the selection and appointment process of the Secretary-General, there is still much work left to be done. In that regard, Member States must consider nominating more women for that post. As highlighted by our Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid, the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session, it is high time for a woman to be appointed as Secretary-General. In conclusion, the Maldives acknowledges the results yielded to date in revitalizing the work of the General Assembly. However, as Member States, it is our duty to contribute further to revitalizing the main policymaking organ of the world’s only truly universal global Organization. Only by doing so will we be able to contribute towards the overall efforts to reform the United  Nations and reinvigorate multilateralism in international affairs.

I thank you, Mr. President, for your excellent leadership on the critical issue of revitalizing the work of the General Assembly. At the outset, my delegation aligns itself with the statements delivered by the representative of Malaysia, on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as by the representative of Algeria, on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. These are troubled times. It is clear that the Security Council is not always able to discharge its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The global economy faces headwinds, and we are falling behind on addressing climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet a rules-based multilateral system in which all Member States have an equal voice remains critical to international peace, security and prosperity. The role played by the General Assembly has therefore become even more critical in defending the principles of the Charter of the United  Nations and strengthening the rules-based multilateral system. To achieve actual outcomes, the General Assembly must continue to be nimble, effective and inclusive and — most important of all — we must ensure that the revitalization exercise does not in itself become an exercise in routine and rhetoric. Ultimately, the test of the revitalization programme or process lies in whether we can deliver real action through concrete steps  — not just by words and talk on revitalization. In that regard, I would like to congratulate Ambassador Mitchell Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia, and Ambassador Egriselda González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, on their reappointments as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly during the seventy-seventh session. They have done an excellent job in steering the process thus far, and we have every confidence that they will lead us to greater heights. We are pleased that they have agreed to continue steering the work of the Group, and we strongly support their proposal for us to focus on the list of issues identified in their letter of 25 August 2022. I call on the co-Chairs to be bold and ambitious in their work during this session in order to push the boundaries of possible reforms and to raise the level of ambition far beyond “business as usual”. I pledge the support of my delegation in pursuing ambitious outcomes from this very important process. My delegation is encouraged by the tangible progress made to revitalize the work of the General Assembly in recent years. There are many concrete examples of the work we have achieved, including the decision to biennialize the revitalization process or resolution, to elect the President, Vice-Presidents and Chairs of the Main Committees at least three months in advance of a new session and to enhance dialogue between Member States and the Secretariat. Still, we think we can do more. In that regard, please allow me to make three suggestions. First, I think we should strive for a greater degree of coherence and coordination across the multiplicity of processes and workstreams. With the many mandated processes launched, there is a real risk of fragmentation and a lack of coherence in how the various processes are carried out. We therefore welcome your commitment, Mr. President, to leverage the General Committee and use it as an inclusive platform for all Member States to take stock regularly during dedicated meetings and to engage in what I call big-picture conversations. We also believe that we can use the General Committee for joint briefings by the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General, heads of specialized United Nations agencies and other relevant stakeholders and experts. We believe that would help improve synergies and tighten coordination across the Main Committees and mandated processes. I truly believe that it is time to make greater use of the General Committee as a platform to share information among delegations and to try to have an overview of what we do here in the General Assembly, rather than let the multiplicity of the processed launched to proceed individually and work in silos. One specific area where greater coordination through the General Committee could yield concrete benefits is scheduling. I think there is merit in bettering coordinating a schedule to allow us to minimize overlapping meetings, particularly during times when voting and other election procedures are scheduled to take place. That is especially salient for delegations from small States, which inevitably have very few representatives or diplomats and have to run from meeting room to meeting room. We should not disadvantage smaller delegations — or any delegation, for that matter — and we should ensure that they are not excluded from participating in the various mandated processes just because many meetings may take place at the same time. Secondly, we must continue to rationalize and streamline the General Assembly’s agenda. My delegation reiterates our support to cluster items and resolutions and introduce sunset clauses where possible. We are very concerned that, if left unchecked, the proliferation of agenda items, as well as lengthy and repetitive resolutions, will serve only to undermine swift action by the General Assembly. We think it is time to get serious about rationalizing the General Assembly’s agenda. At the seventy-sixth session, the General Assembly adopted 307 resolutions and 140 decisions, up from 297 resolutions and 108 decisions at the sixty-sixth General Assembly. The work of the General Assembly has expanded, if not exploded exponentially. We believe that the time is ripe to seriously consider bolder ideas to streamline the agenda. One idea we would like to suggest is to biennialize any resolution adopted annually with only technical updates unless there is consensus to do otherwise, for a specific resolution. In such a case, we would focus on the reasons to accord an exception to such a resolution. We could even go further  — to automatically biennialize every single annual resolution. We are ready for that move. Is any delegation willing to work with us on that idea? Please let us know. Another idea we would like to suggest is to automatically triennialize every biennial resolution unless there is consensus otherwise for a specific resolution, in which case delegations are welcome to present the specific reason as to why a given biennial resolution should be granted an exemption. Once again, we are ready for ambitious reforms, and we invite colleagues to work with us and with the co-facilitators. But whatever we do, it is time to get serious about streamlining the agenda of the General Assembly. Thirdly, we must continue to strengthen the Office of the President of the General Assembly. An active and hands-on President can make a real difference  — as we are seeing in the current Office of the President of the General Assembly and the leadership and initiative of our current President, Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, whom we thank for his leadership  — to shaping our collective agenda for the better. We strongly welcome efforts by all Presidents to participate in retreats to strengthen the General Assembly, comprising the incoming and outgoing presidencies of each session, in order to provide a comprehensive handover report and to introduce morning dialogues on relevant topics of the day, as such dialogues allow for a safe space to have informal conversations on critical issues confronting the international community. We therefore support the long-standing calls for the Office of the President to be given adequate human and financial resources, as indicated in resolution 73/325, rather than making the Office rely mainly on voluntary contributions and secondments. We think it is time to address that issue seriously. The Office of the President is an important one, and its running and resourcing should be properly institutionalized. The issue of providing sufficient financial and human resources for the Office is particularly important for small countries because many of them have provided candidates who have gone on to serve as Presidents of the General Assembly, and I would add that they have served with great distinction and leadership. Moreover, it is important that we allow small States to continue to provide candidates to serve in that important position, as small States, by their nature, have limited resources and would not be able to bring their own resources to fund the Office of the President of the General Assembly. We should not disadvantage smaller countries from aspiring to hold the highest office, which is why the issue of adequate financial and human resources for the Office is vitally important. The world is looking to the United Nations — and to the General Assembly, if I may add — for leadership at a time of great geopolitical and economic uncertainty. If the General Assembly is to remain relevant and respected, we must redouble our efforts to modernize and revitalize its working methods and deliver concrete results. My delegation stands ready to work with all Member States to deliver ambitious outcomes at this session’s meetings of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly.

I join other delegations in congratulating Ambassador Egriselda Aracely González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, and Ambassador Mitchell Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia, on their reappointment as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly. Ecuador associates itself with the statements delivered by the representatives of Costa Rica, on behalf of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group, and Algeria, on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. With the biennialization of the resolution on revitalization, we must continue to engage in the implementation of the mandates and recommendations deriving from resolution 75/325 and its predecessors. At this seventy-seventh session, we must also adopt another flagship resolution that will allow us to project that progress forward for another two years. It is the responsibility of all to implement the arrangements we agreed during the negotiations two years ago, and that applies to all aspects of General Assembly resolutions. My delegation is convinced that the best way to reflect the role, authority, effectiveness and efficiency of the General Assembly is through the implementation and execution of the recommendations emanating from it. I add that implementation falls on both the States and the organs of the United Nations system. At the end of this process, we should be able to clearly identify what we have implemented and to what degree. The training and coaching of delegations in the exercise of drafting and negotiating resolutions and action-oriented decisions is, undoubtedly, important. But we must also recognize that it is not only about optimizing capacities, but also about a political effort of prioritization. It is true that the Assembly is like a sounding board that amplifies the narratives of all countries, but it is time to make better use of it as a driver for implementation. In the discussions of the process, we should keep in mind that the General Assembly is the forum for establishing policies and recommendations, while the Economic and Social Council is to review, assess and support their implementation. Ecuador will continue to work to improve the Assembly’s relationship with the Security Council. We stress that its relationship is indispensable, as illustrated by the implementation of resolution 76/262, known as the veto initiative, for which three special reports have been presented in the plenary. On that point, I wish to stress that the monthly meetings between the President of the Assembly and the monthly President of the Security Council should be maintained and their discussions deepened. Finally, Ecuador, together with Malaysia, Finland and the United  Nations Institute for Training and Research, held the second transitional workshop between officials of the Office of the President of the Assembly in September, and we hope to continue that practice. I commend the leadership of the President of the Assembly. Let us also move forward during this session in building on and improving our working methods so that the revitalization process also remains the first example of the modernization of our work.

We come to this debate, which should be one of the highest priorities for the Organization, because it concerns our General Assembly, the universal forum par excellence and guarantor of the legal equality of States. But let us be frank, if we are talking about the need for revitalization, it is because the Assembly carries inertia and practices that undermine its effectiveness vis-à-vis the Organization, but above all vis-à-vis our peoples. In recent years we have been able to reaffirm the primacy and significance of the Assembly’s general debate amid the proliferation of side events organized in the framework of the high-level week. Although it was for health reasons, this year we saw how the debate took place without holding informal meetings in this building, thereby sharpening the focus on the pronouncements of our leaders and promoting bilateral meetings and dialogues. On the other hand, the accommodations made in the face of the coronavirus disease pandemic generated new practices that we should assess and, where appropriate, maintain. While nothing can replace face-to-face diplomacy, we must recognize the flexibility that virtual and hybrid formats allow. They can facilitate various aspects of our work in the General Assembly. Measures such as the consolidation of debates on various agenda items or the establishment of interactive debates allow us to counter the rigidity of lists of speakers and open up space for genuine diplomatic debate. The legislative role of the General Assembly is often hampered and devalued by the application of the so-called “consensus rule”, which in practice represents a veto for the 193 members of the General Assembly. While it is our duty to seek ways to achieve such consensus, it should be seen as an aspiration and not as an end in itself, since, more often than not, we have observed how it becomes a way of blocking the action of the General Assembly. It should not be necessary to say that resolutions and decisions adopted through a vote must be viewed with full legitimacy. Recent events reveal the importance of political signals from the General Assembly. Actions such as the adoption of resolution 76/262, on the response to a veto in the Security Council, demonstrate that this organ can respond in a timely manner to the needs of the international environment. Following that example, we urge reflection on further steps that will bring the General Assembly to the centre of international affairs, with continuous improvements, and let us move beyond the notion that it needs to be revitalized. Against that backdrop, the work to be undertaken in the Ad Hoc Working Group must be one of the highest priorities for the Organization, with a view to reaffirming the role and value of the General Assembly and its deliberative character. We welcome the appointment of the Permanent Representatives of El Salvador and Australia to continue to lead its work. We acknowledge recent steps, such as the early commencement of the work of the President of the General Assembly and his Office, recommendations on the nomination of candidates, the nomination and approval of the Secretary-General and the call for more women candidates to be nominated. Finally, the launch of the report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) and the intergovernmental discussions on it are an opportunity for us, along with this debate, to move towards effective and inclusive multilateralism.

First of all, my delegation would like to thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this joint debate on the agenda items “Implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations” and “Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly”. We would also like to take this opportunity to extend our warm congratulations on the reappointment of Mrs. Egriselda Aracely González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, and Mr. Mitchell Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia, as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly. We also salute their remarkable work during the previous session, which demonstrated their professionalism, determination and leadership. I take the opportunity of this joint debate to recall resolution 75/325, which contains many practical and concrete measures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the General Assembly. The resolution has led to significant progress on a wide range of important reform issues. The decision to review biennially the revitalization process itself is important, as it will allow us to better focus our efforts on a more detailed implementation of our decisions and to together reflect in-depth on future actions. We hope that this biennial rhythm will pave the way for further streamlining of other General Assembly processes. We also welcome the decision to amend rule 1 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, which will take effect at the start of the seventy-eighth session and which will allow the session to start on the Tuesday of the second week of September, one week earlier than current practice, in order to give the new presidency and its Bureau more time to prepare for the general debate and the high-level week. While the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had an impact on the work of the General Assembly, and on that of the United Nations in general, it has also given us the opportunity to reflect on how effectively the General Assembly is adapting its working methods in order to enable it to continue addressing global challenges as they evolve. The purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations guide the conduct of international relations. In that context, we reiterate the importance of the rigorous implementation of the provisions of the Charter relating to the prerogatives of each organ. Moreover, scrupulous respect for Article 12 is a sine qua non condition in order to avoid interference and encroachment between the functions and powers of the main organs and will contribute to the effective revitalization of the General Assembly. A revitalized General Assembly would contribute significantly to bolstering the United  Nations system as a whole and to strengthening multilateralism. The revitalization of the General Assembly, the main deliberative and decision-making organ of the United  Nations, plays an indispensable, pivotal role in the overall reform of the Organization and in the strengthening of multilateralism. Now more than ever, multilateralism must be improved so that we are able to meet the challenges facing humankind in an increasingly interdependent and interconnected world. In that context, we reiterate our support for the important reforms introduced by the Secretary-General, the positive results of which are already enabling the United  Nations to better address the complex and multidimensional developments in our world. We also thank him for the report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), which we support and which covers a wide range of challenges that require our attention and a series of recommendations that deserve serious and thoughtful follow-up. The report presents a vision of how to reinvigorate inclusive, networked and effective multilateralism, especially in the COVID-19 era, and will help us get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The implementation of that road map reflects strong recognition that our Organization is the most representative platform for multilateral action par excellence to address the global challenges of the twenty-first century and to strengthen international solidarity. We eagerly look forward to the submission by the Secretary-General, early next year, of working papers that will enable us to better prepare for the Summit of the Future and to adopt the decisions needed to meet the current challenges facing humankind. We also welcome the tangible and constructive progress made in recent years in revitalizing the work of the General Assembly, thanks to our joint efforts and the successful completion of initiatives emanating from the Working Group. We call on all Member States to continue in the same spirit in order to consolidate the achievements of previous sessions. We note with satisfaction the measures taken by the Secretariat, and in particular by the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, to implement the decisions of the General Assembly on the revitalization of this organ and to ensure the smooth conduct of our meetings and other activities within the Organization. With regard to the financial and liquidity crisis that our Organization continues to face, we welcome the speed and effectiveness of measures taken by the Secretary-General in that regard. In our common goal of revitalizing the General Assembly and ensuring the smooth functioning of the Organization, it is incumbent upon us all to ensure that the United  Nations has all the financial and administrative means necessary for its proper operations. In that connection, we appreciate the commendable efforts and achievements of the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance to ensure the necessary budgetary balances for the proper functioning of the Organization. It is important to continue to work towards increasing synergies and coherence between the issues on the agenda of the various Committees and to ensure the alignment of the General Assembly’s agenda with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With regard to the working methods of the General Assembly, we support the efforts to increase gender parity within the United  Nations and welcome the commitment and outstanding developments introduced by the Secretary-General in order to ensure gender equality, already achieved at the level of senior officials, for all staff of the Organization. Morocco welcomes efforts to make the selection process for the appointment of the Secretary-General and other senior United Nations officials more inclusive, transparent and effective. We welcome the provisions contained in resolu­ tions 70/305 and 71/323, which have led to several nota­ ble advances. In that regard, we also note with interest the steps already taken to strengthen the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly through the or­ ganization of relevant thematic debates. My delegation underscores the importance of providing the Office of the President of the General Assembly with sufficient long-term human resources, which are essential to en­ suring that it functions effectively and preserving its institutional memory. Lastly, I would like to recall that the process of revitalizing the work of the General Assembly requires the continuous commitment of all Member States, as well as genuine political will, in order to realize its noble goals. In that regard, the Kingdom of Morocco reaffirms its commitment to continuing to contribute effectively, constructively and responsibly to the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly.

I thank you, Sir, for convening this plenary meeting on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly. At the outset, Japan would like to thank Ambassador Mitchell Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia, and Ambassador Egriselda Aracely González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, for their leadership as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly at the seventy-sixth session, and to congratulate them on their reappointment as co-Chairs for the seventy-seventh session. We look forward to productive discussions leading to the adoption of an action-oriented draft resolution in order to heighten the Assembly’s efficiency, effectiveness and transparency. Today the international order faces multifaceted challenges, and the role of the United  Nations has become more important than ever. The Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, but in certain circumstances we have seen the Council unable to respond to its expectations. Since the General Assembly is the forum in which all Member States gather, embodying the just cause of the international community, I believe that we shall restore confidence in the United Nation by strengthening the General Assembly through its revitalization. It is also important to explore further ideas as to whether there is a role that the General Assembly can play in the issue of the exercise of the veto. We would like to continue to deepen discussions with Member States on that issue. Based on resolution 75/325, we will deepen our discussion on strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads. In that regard, Japan would like to highlight the following points, as well as to reiterate a number of points discussed at the seventy-sixth session, as they are interlinked and crucial to consider during the negotiation of this session’s draft resolution. We believe that it is desirable to make rules and timelines with regard to making the selection process of the Secretary-General more transparent and visible. I would like to remind everyone of the note contained in the annex to the identical letters dated 1 February 2017 from the Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council (see A/71/774), which was intended to provide an overview of the entire selection process, with a description of the achievements made during the 2016 process and the lessons learned for future selection processes. Japan will continue to explore possible steps towards achieving that goal. Japan is willing to take an active part in the follow- up process to the Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda (A/75/982). Member States should seriously discuss in the General Assembly what kind of world they would like to hand over to future generations, bearing in mind the preparations for the Sustainable Development Goals Summit to be held next year and the Summit of the Future to be held in 2024. In Our Common Agenda, the Secretary-General recognizes the importance of the revitalization of the General Assembly so that the United  Nations will be able to tackle multifaceted challenges in the years to come. Japan commends your initiative, Mr. President, to make use of the General Committee for coordination with the co-facilitators, as all discussions towards those goals should be appropriately integrated so that the General Assembly can effectively hear the voices of Member States in order to make a great achievement. Under the leadership of Germany and Namibia, as co-facilitators, and with the full support of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, Member States should actively join in the process. In order to enable the General Assembly to be effectively represented by the President of the General Assembly, the latter should enjoy the solid organizational support of the Secretariat as well as the support of Member States, both of which are indispensable. We should make full use of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly to make the Assembly’s debates and decisions more relevant to impending global issues. In that regard, further efforts should be made to streamline the Assembly’s agenda, in close consultation with the Bureaus of the Main Committees, the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies. We should consider biennialization, triennialization and clustering, as well as the elimination of items, where appropriate, with a view to promoting an in-depth discussion under each item in an efficient manner. In addition, further interaction and continued coordination among the Presidents of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council should be encouraged, including complementarity between the General Assembly and the Security Council in the event that a veto is cast in the Security Council, based on resolution 76/262, adopted in April. The revitalization of the General Assembly remains a priority for all Member States, and Japan is determined to work earnestly to further strengthen the functions of the General Assembly in cooperation with the United Nations as a whole so that it can play an even greater role in the maintenance of peace and security.

At the outset, I would like to sincerely thank Ambassador Mitchell Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia to the United  Nations, and Mrs. Egriselda González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United  Nations, for their constructive efforts during their joint chairmanship of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly. I wish them every success. Our world today faces significant challenges in complex and unprecedented circumstances that threaten the coherence of our international community and cast a shadow over all achievements that humankind has made in terms of progress, growth and peace. More than ever, those challenges today demonstrate our dire need to take concerted efforts and to promote ties of cooperation to preserve the gains made by the United Nations, a noble organization that has consistently been a leader of and compass for international efforts. The Charter on the basis of which the Organization was founded clearly stipulated the tasks conferred upon its principal organs, in particular the General Assembly. In addition to being the most inclusive executive organ in the world and the main decision-making body at the United  Nations, it is also a platform of truth, justice and hope. Its members meet in this Hall and share the responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and for safeguarding the gains made by humankind, and promote cooperation for achieving development and preserving human rights. We must all therefore pursue joint efforts and address shortcomings and imbalances while working tirelessly to advance and upgrade the working mechanisms and methods of the General Assembly, in addition to exploring the means available to achieve our shared goals and realize our desired hopes. The State of Kuwait underscores that revitalizing and reforming the General Assembly represents an essential pillar in the overall reform process of the United  Nations. We reiterate in that regard the Secretary General’s vision set out in Our Common Agenda, setting a road map for United Nations work for the years to come. We look forward to continuing our work in line with General Assembly resolution 75/325, which established the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly in order to advance the role and the authority of the General Assembly. That resolution is indeed a step in the right direction. In order to safeguard the inclusive and pluralistic nature of the General Assembly, the State of Kuwait stresses the importance of prioritizing issues that are of interest to the largest number of Member States. To promote its inclusive nature, we also reaffirm the importance of equality among all official languages of the United  Nations. Linguistic diversity is important, as is the quality of translation on United Nations online sites and during its meetings and sessions. Digital technology has profoundly transformed our societies, and the information revolution has made us change our working methods. In order to adapt to our era and the progress made, we underscore the importance of harnessing technological means to promote the use of digital technology at the United  Nations and preserve its archive and institutional memory. We commend the efforts made by those responsible for the Journal, and we look forward to developing it further in order to easily access information and facilitate working methods. We also commend the work of the Department of Global Communications in the creation, promotion and dissemination of content in various official languages and its role in highlighting the work of the General Assembly and effectively countering false information, misinformation and disinformation. It is also important to shed light on the complementary nature of the work of the General Assembly and that of its main committees, as well as of the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary organs. Further coordination between them and the General Assembly will limit overlaps and the repetition of agenda items, and that in turn will enhance the efficiency of the work towards achieving 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Turning to the relationship between the General Assembly and the Security Council, we emphasize the importance of promoting cooperation between them on the basis of the principles of transparency and accountability. From the beginning, the State of Kuwait supported resolution 76/262, which requires convening a formal meeting of the General Assembly within 10 working days of the casting of a veto by a permanent member of the Security Council in order to facilitate a debate on the relevant situation. We believe that the resolution will substantially add value to the work of the General Assembly and its effectiveness in line with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. In conclusion, we are cognizant that the process of developing the working methods of the General Assembly needs ongoing work and serious efforts to make headway in the joint action towards a broader horizon that will enable us to address effectively anything that happens in the international arena. I reaffirm the full belief of the State of Kuwait in the international multilateral system and in supporting everything that can safeguard it and strengthen its foundations.

At the outset, let me thank you, Sir, for convening today’s meeting. Let me also thank and commend Ambassador Mitchell Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia, and Ambassador Egriselda González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, for their able stewardship of the revitalization process during the seventy-sixth session and the energy and vitality that they have both brought to the discussions on this important topic. We look forward to continuing to work with them and Member States with the aim of advancing these discussions. Pakistan aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Algeria on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. I would like to add a few points in my national capacity, as well. A key motivating factor in the revitalization debate has been the disparity between the General Assembly and the Security Council. Under the Charter of the United Nations, both organs have separate, yet important, roles, and making optimum use of those assigned roles is key to achieving progress in the revitalization process, particularly at a time when the Security Council is in paralysis and trust in the United Nations ability to tackle multifaceted global challenges is at an all-time low. Against that backdrop, our delegation reiterates that the General Assembly is the only United Nations body with universal representation, which is a unique feature of the General Assembly, providing an ample space to this forum to simultaneously address issues of global concern, on the one hand, and those affecting individual Member States, on the other. It is for that reason that the revitalization of the General Assembly is vital to promoting world peace based on equal and indivisible security and sustainable development for all. Indeed, the primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security is vested in the Security Council. But the Charter also delineates the role of the General Assembly in several areas related to peace and security, such as disarmament, international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes. The General Assembly should devote efforts to securing the full and comprehensive implementation of the principles of the right to self-determination, the non-use of force, the territorial integrity of States and non-intervention in their internal affairs. It should also develop the capacity to address new and emerging challenges, such as climate change, the new arms race, governance of the global commons and a knowledge-based and digitalized world economy. Harnessing the true potential of the Assembly will augment the legitimacy and vitality of the United  Nations, rendering it more effective and valuable for the people we serve. A vibrant United  Nations also requires frequent interaction and coordination between its primary organs, especially the General Assembly and the Security Council. In some cases, the General Assembly can complement Security Council’s work  — for example, in the area of conflict prevention, through long-term structural prevention, such as by addressing the long- standing root causes of conflicts. Such complementary work can lend immense value in forging a coherent and effective response to pressing international challenges across the three pillars of the United Nations. Under Article 24, paragraph 3, of the Charter, the General Assembly can invite the Security Council to provide subject-oriented special reports on issues of current international concern. The need for such reports is felt even more whenever the Security Council takes a decision under Chapter VII of the Charter. It is also important that the reports provide a comprehensively elaborative, analytical and material account of the Security Council’s work. While we can argue about the binding nature of the General Assembly’s resolutions, there can hardly be two views on the Assembly’s indelible contribution to the norm-building and codification of international law. From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the General Assembly has time and again had a meaningful impact on the international legal landscape. We must continue to add to this solid structure of the international legal framework through our work at the General Assembly. During the seventy-fifth session, Member States took the important decision to biennialize the resolution on the revitalization process (see resolution 75/325). The development should serve as a welcome opportunity to dedicate more time to the implementation of the revitalization agenda and to evaluating the implementation status of General Assembly resolutions. Translating our collective ambition into action is vital to reinvigorating the General Assembly. Resolution 75/325 reinforces the sovereign right of every Member State to introduce any new agenda item or draft resolution in the Assembly. That provision has a special value for most Member States and preserving it in future resolutions should remain a priority. Rationalization should not mean a restriction on the prerogatives of the General Assembly membership. We also appreciate the fact that the resolution proclaims that no post should be considered the exclusive preserve of any Member State and that the Secretary General should ensure that this principle is applied in accordance with the principle of equitable geographical distribution. The resolution also consolidates the crucial gains achieved since 2015 and 2016 in the selection process of the Secretary-General. That momentum must continue. The seventy-sixth session afforded an opportunity to discuss at length, including through interactive dialogues, the role, authority and working methods of the General Assembly. Pakistan made substantive contributions during the deliberations, and we are thankful to the co-facilitators for reflecting several of our suggestions in the summary. We look forward to working with the same spirit on the remaining two clusters, as well as the outcome document of the revitalization process this year.

This really is our opportunity to help the General Assembly move closer to being what we all know it can be and should be. It is a genuine honour to be re-appointed as co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly for the seventy-seventh session to help move the ball forward. My thanks go to the President and the membership for entrusting me once again with this important task. Let me also express my sincere congratulations to my good friend and colleague, Ambassador González López of El Salvador, on her re-appointment as co-Chair. It is a great pleasure to be joined once again in this task by Ambassador González López. She brings her invaluable experience and wisdom to the role, and we all benefit from her energy, enthusiasm and expertise. As other representatives have noted, the previous session of the Ad Hoc Working Group was the first of the new biennalized format — the first without a negotiated text. I am pleased to say that it was a productive session and a practical example that the biennialization and triennalization of items can help reduce the General Assembly’s overburdened agenda. As co-Chairs at the previous session, Ambassador González López and I presided over four meetings. They included a general debate, two thematic debates and the informal dialogue between Member States and the Secretariat. I would like to thank all delegations for their frank and constructive engagement throughout the meetings and extend my thanks to our Secretariat colleagues for their participation and support. In particular, I would like to thank those in the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management. The Ad Hoc Working Group continues to be central to Member States’ efforts to enhance the role, authority, effectiveness and efficiency of the General Assembly. As we embark upon a new session, I have to say that I am excited by the prospect of what we can achieve together. In our letter dated 25 August 2022, the co-Chairs provided an overview of the key issues discussed by the Ad Hoc Working Group during the previous session and suggested possible proposals for further consideration by the Group. The proposals aim to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and equity of the Assembly. I would like to take this opportunity to touch on a few of them for members’ consideration. First, let me speak to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the General Assembly. Member States continued to reiterate their strong desire to streamline the Assembly’s agenda. Together we should seek to make meaningful progress on the issues this session. As the General Assembly’s agenda continues to grow, we must take steps to focus our work on the critical areas that require global solutions, such as addressing climate change, driving progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, ending conflict, nurturing peace and protecting and promoting human rights. To that end, I welcome the invitation of the President of the General Assembly for delegations to bring concrete suggestions for streamlining the agenda to the next meeting of the General Committee. In addition, measures such as the distribution of timely and comprehensive concept notes in advance of General Assembly meetings and processes, early access to live lists of speakers for plenary meetings and a formal hand-over meeting between the Chairs of the Main Committees are all examples of small practical measures that can improve the operation of the General Assembly. But, with regard to improving the equity of the General Assembly, I would point to other concrete proposals canvassed during the previous session, such as encouraging closer adherence to speaking-time limits during plenary meetings — that is an idea — further increasing women’s representation at General Assembly meetings and improving the accessibility of Headquarters. The General Assembly remains the most representative and inclusive United Nations organ. We should work to ensure that its working methods reflect those principles. The biennalized format enabled us to bring a special focus the previous session to issues under the two pillars: the role and authority of the General Assembly; and working methods. This session, we encourage delegations to focus on the relevant pillars identified for the seventy-seventh session: strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the Assembly; and the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads. In conclusion, it is my hope and that of Ambassador González López that the constructive and collaborative spirit shown by all delegations during the seventy- fifth and seventy-sixth sessions will prevail once again this session. As co-Chair, I recommit to engaging transparently and constructively with all members of the Working Group and to providing clear timelines and an early programme of work to enable meaningful engagement by all delegations. When I say, “meaningful engagement with all delegations”, I mean all members of delegations who work on the revitalization of the General Assembly. I am therefore available any time by phone.

My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Algeria on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. South Africa would like to thank you, Sir, for convening this meeting today. We would also to express our gratitude to the co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly, Mr. Mitchell Fifield of Australia and Mrs. Egriselda González López of El Salvador, for guiding us through the process at the seventy- sixth session. We also welcome their reappointment as co-Chairs for the seventy-seventh session to allow the necessary continuity through the biennialized process. At the current session of the General Assembly, we welcome the focus on strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads, in accordance with resolution 75/325. With regard to the Office of the President, South Africa has long maintained and would like to like to reiterate once again that the Office of the President of the General Assembly should be provided with the necessary resources that are commensurate with executing its mandate to drive the overall agenda of the General Assembly. While the Office of the President of the General Assembly requires sufficient resources from the regular budget, the Office’s ability to operate also relies on the human resources and capacities provided to it. Member States should also equally consider advancing women as candidates for the position of President of the General Assembly, especially given the number of years that have elapsed without a woman President and the limited number of women Presidents to date. We support the initiatives of the Secretariat to preserve and further strengthen the institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly. We must also be mindful not to overburden the Office. Therefore, South Africa supports the streamlining of the work of the United Nations through appropriate coordination among the principal organs and their agendas, as well as rationalizing the number of outcomes that we produce. With regard to the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other senior executives, South Africa has been consistent in stressing that, upon the recommendation of the Security Council, the Secretary-General should ideally be appointed by secret ballot in the General Assembly. We also believe that the Security Council should be encouraged to submit more than one name for the General Assembly’s consideration and that the Assembly should seriously reflect on and consider appointing future Secretaries-General for a longer, but single, non-renewable term. We also continue to urge that the executive heads and senior management of the Secretariat should always reflect balanced gender and equitable geographical representation. South Africa looks forward to once again considering a draft resolution on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, as a follow-up to resolution 75/325, within the Ad Hoc Working Group at the current session. Some of the significant advances made in 2021 on the resolution included the biennialization of the General Assembly’s revitalization resolution, as an example for other resolutions; the overall streamlining of the work of the General Assembly; the effort to limit the number of high-level events in the margins of the Assembly; the reaffirmation of previous resolutions referring to gender balance and regional rotation in the course of the identification and appointment of the best, well- qualified and experienced candidate for Secretary- General, while noting that a woman has yet to become Secretary-General and inviting Member States to bear that in mind when nominating candidates; and, lastly, the invitation to Member States to equally consider women as candidates for the position of President of the General Assembly and encouraging Presidents-elect to continue to strive for both gender and geographical balance within the Office of the President of the General Assembly. Therefore, we hope to further those advances, especially in realizing the commitments that we have already made and doing more to achieve them. We accordingly look forward to the negotiation process, guided by the co-Chairs, in order to build on the ambition shown in previous discussions.

Brunei Darussalam aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Malaysia on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the statement delivered by the representative of Algeria on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. At the outset, Brunei Darussalam would like to express its utmost appreciation for the endeavours of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly, especially the co-Chairs, Mr. Mitch Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia, and Mrs. Egriselda González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, in spearheading and facilitating the discussions at the seventy-sixth session. We congratulate them on their reappointment. They may rest assured of Brunei Darussalam’s continued support in their efforts on this matter of vital importance. As we heard from our leaders and ministers at the high-level debate, the world continues to face many challenges, ranging from the lingering impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic and the path towards recovery to the challenges to food and energy security and the need to combat the effects of climate change. No one country is immune to the adverse effects of those challenges. And, as we strive towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in this last decade of action, collective and concerted efforts are much needed in addressing those wide-ranging issues of concern in order to ensure that no one is left behind. Global challenges require global solutions, and it is therefore the General Assembly — the most representative organ of the United Nations — that is an essential platform for the deliberations of all Member States on such issues. It is here also that we must reiterate our pledge to ensure cooperation and action as a follow-up to those deliberations in keeping with the spirit of multilateralism. During the thirty-ninth session of the General Assembly, held in 1984, Brunei Darussalam was admitted to the United  Nations. At that time, we noted that, “Our only hope is to look to the moral and persuasive authority of the United Nations and its machinery for the maintenance of peace and security” (A/39/PV.3, para. 86). That statement holds true today, as it did nearly 40 years ago. Therefore, it is imperative that the work of the General Assembly continue to remain relevant in order for this organ to continue to remain fit for purpose, efficient and effective in fulfilling its functions as set out in the Charter of the United Nations. In that regard, resolution 75/325, including the four main clusters identified and focused on, provides a good guideline on the basis of which work should proceed, as they all speak to the core areas in which the General Assembly can be further improved in order to maintain its central role and credibility. We welcome the updates on the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group carried out during the seventy-sixth session of the General Assembly, including the updated inventory on the progress of the implementation of the four clusters and the actions to be taken to implement those measures, while recognizing the ongoing nature of such work. Brunei Darussalam also welcomes your particular determination, Sir, to prioritize the coordination of actions among your Office, the Secretary-General, the Economic and Social Council and all other relevant organs and bodies of the United Nations. To that end, Brunei Darussalam encourages greater cooperation between the General Assembly and the Security Council. The General Assembly is one of the only United  Nations organs with representatives from the entire membership, and as such the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly contributes greatly towards the overall reform of the United Nations. Recalling the adoption by consensus earlier this year of landmark resolution 76/262, on the initiative establishing a standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council, Brunei Darussalam believes that is certainly a step in the right direction towards improving synergies between both organs. The resolution also broadens discussions on international peace and security to the wider membership, particularly on matters of importance, which in turn underscores the General Assembly’s central position as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Let me conclude by reaffirming Brunei Darus­ salam’s continued support for the ongoing efforts to revitalize the work of the General Assembly, as the pri­ mary organ of the United Nations — the foremost mul­ tilateral Organization — to ensure effective and collec­ tive action on common concerns and shared interests for the benefit of all humankind.

I thank you very much, Sir, for convening the first plenary meeting of the current session on the revitalization of the General Assembly. Poland aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union. I would like to add some important elements from our national perspective. The revitalization of the General Assembly is one of the critical components of the overall reform of the United  Nations, and we welcome your efforts, Mr. President, to promote the process to foster strengthening multilateralism and international cooperation. I would also like to congratulate Ambassadors Egriselda González López and Mitchell Fifield, who have been reappointed as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly for the current session. Their views and suggestions for consideration by the Working Group at the current session, which were included in your letter of 25 August 2022, provide a very good basis for further debates, in particular with a view to the negotiation of the next draft resolution on the revitalization of the General Assembly. I will now turn to the issues identified in resolu­ tion 75/325. First, with regard to strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, the President of the General Assembly and the President’s Office play a key role in the overall success of the work of the Assembly. Efforts to strengthen accountability, transparency and the institutional memory of the President’s Office are essential. In that regard, a compendium of best practices of past Presidents would be instrumental in reinforcing the institutional memory of the Office. The activities of the President of the General Assembly have increased steadily in recent years, and the President’s Office relies greatly on voluntary contributions for a growing number of the mandates entrusted by the Assembly. We are very glad that Poland has contributed to supporting the Office of the President of the General Assembly, and therefore the Assembly’s revitalization process, by seconding one national expert to join the Office at the current session. Turning to the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General, Poland welcomes the reference in paragraph 68 of resolution 75/325 to encouraging Member States to nominate female candidates for the position. For the time being, the United  Nations can hardly be seen as a trailblazer in women’s empowerment or gender parity, since there has not been a single female Secretary-General in its entire 77-year history. Another very important principle in the selection process involves regional rotation, in particular among United Nations regional groups. It would be desirable for each regional group to have a representative appointed as Secretary- General on a rotational basis. In the same vein, the principle of equal and fair distribution in terms of a gender and geographical balance needs to be applicable to all the executive heads of the United Nations system and the Senior Management Group. (spoke in French) Poland also notes with satisfaction your efforts, Sir, to advance gender parity among the speakers and briefers invited to high-level and other meetings. Equality between women and men should be integrated within the working methods of the General Assembly, as well as the promotion of multilingualism as a core value of the Organization. Poland supports the General Committee in playing a more active role in the revitalization process, as mandated in resolution 75/325. We welcome your initiative to invite the co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group to brief the General Committee on a regular basis in order to ensure coherence and coordination with the other co-facilitated processes during the current session. My country will actively be involved in such coordination, as the Permanent Representative of Poland was appointed as one of the co-facilitators of the negotiation process for the political declaration of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the fight against tuberculosis. In conclusion, I would like to assure you, Mr. President, of Poland’s commitment to promoting the revitalization of the General Assembly throughout the current session. Poland stands ready to support all initiatives on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the Assembly, and therefore of the entire United Nations system.

The Philippines aligns itself with the statements made by the representatives of Malaysia and Algeria on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, respectively. We congratulate Ambassador Egriselda González López of El Salvador and Ambassador Mitchell Fifield of Australia for their well-deserved reappointment as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly. We appreciate today’s joint debate on the Assembly’s revitalization  — an important platform that both reaffirms the General Assembly’s pre-eminence in the United  Nations system and provides focus on how to improve its work. We also echo ASEAN’s appreciation of the important role of the Main Committees in complementing the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group in revitalizing the General Assembly. Since 2015, the Philippines has actively engaged in the dialogue on revitalization in the context of the United Nations reform agenda. For the current session, we welcome the focus on two themes: strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, and the selection and appointment of the Secretary- General and other executive heads. With regard to strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, the Philippines strongly supports that agenda and the increasing call of Member States to create a permanent core staff for the Office of the President. That will lower the costs of establishing a new team of experts every 12 months. We also support the continuing request of the Office of the President of the General Assembly for Member States to discuss measures to close the gap between the number of tasks they request from the President and the resources allocated to the Office of the President. We commend the institutionalization of the President’s handover report since the seventieth session of the General Assembly and recommend the continuation of the morning dialogues with the Permanent Missions, as well as the practice of convening interactive dialogues with candidates for the position of President of the General Assembly. Concerning the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads, resolution  75/325 must be implemented faithfully in order to ensure a transparent and inclusive selection process. The Philippines therefore supports continuing timely informal discussions and town hall meetings with the candidates. We further emphasize that the Secretary-General must be accorded independence in selecting senior officials, while adhering to the highest standards in those appointments and ensuring equal and fair distribution on the basis of gender and geographical balance. We also reiterate our support for the proposal to come up with a compendium of best practices and lessons learned on the selection and appointment process for the Secretary-General. With greater political will and stronger collaborative action on the part of Member States, we hope to achieve the adoption of a more ambitious, innovative and action-oriented draft resolution at the current session. The Philippines stands ready to help ensure the success of the Ad Hoc Working Group in its important task of revitalizing the work of the General Assembly.

I thank you, Sir, for convening this first plenary meeting of the seventy- seventh session on the revitalization of the General Assembly. I would like to begin by congratulating Ambassadors Egriselda González López and Mitchell Fifield on their reappointment as co-facilitators and by reaffirming the United Kingdom’s commitment to this agenda. I would like to make three points today. First, I thank you, Mr. President, for your letter of 24 August providing an overview of the work of the seventy-sixth session. We also welcome your remarks at the previous meeting of the General Committee, including on the benefits of biennializing this issue. We agree on the need to develop a targeted programme on this agenda, with clear timelines to move from principles to implementation. We all need to take responsibility for putting forward and agreeing on concrete proposals to streamline the General Assembly’s agenda, rather than just providing words of support. We look forward to doing that at the current session. Secondly, we look forward to engaging on our two agreed priority issues for the current session: the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General. With regard to the former, we would like to thank you, Mr. President, for upholding your commitment to appointing an efficient team. Concerning the latter, we have important decisions ahead on ensuring a transparent process for appointing the next Secretary- General. Many United Kingdom representatives before me have called for the appointment of a female Secretary-General. In that regard, we welcome the efforts of resolution 75/325 to increase the number female candidates in the next election. Thirdly, we know that we are behind on delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. We also know that we have work ahead on implementing the Secretary- General’s Our Common Agenda (A/75/982). Achieving those goals will be best accomplished by an inclusive approach, bringing in relevant stakeholders. Therefore, allow me to conclude as you began earlier, Mr President, by emphasizing the importance of revitalizing the General Assembly’s work. For the United Nations and multilateralism to thrive, it is critical that we allow the General Assembly to focus on real issues that matter to real people.

We thank you, Sir, for your leadership and for convening this debate on an important issue. Indonesia aligns itself with the statements delivered by the representative of Malaysia, on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the representative of Algeria, on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. We congratulate Ambassador Egriselda González López of El Salvador and Ambassador Mitchell Fifield of Australia on their reappointment as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly. We thank them for their excellent stewardship in steering the work of this important process and look forward to working with them. Since its inception in 2005, the Ad Hoc Working Group has contributed towards progress on numerous fronts, from streamlining the agenda to increasing transparency in the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General. At this time of great global challenges, it is a matter of urgency that we make further concrete progress in making the work of the United Nations more effective and efficient, as well as supporting our efforts to meet global targets. Therefore, as we move forward, we must be ready to take difficult measures and practical steps that will truly revitalize the Assembly to be more relevant in terms of today’s challenges and fit for purpose. We appreciate the fruitful deliberations on the working methods of the Ad Hoc Working Group held at the previous session. We look forward to continuing our deliberations at the current session on the issue of strengthening the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads. Elements that are important and should be taken into consideration for our work at the current session include the following. First, we need to both take stock of achievements and galvanize the necessary actions. Guided by resolution 75/325, in particular its paragraphs 4 (b) and 11, Indonesia believes that we need to urgently implement the existing recommendations of the resolution, especially those that require follow-up or further actions. We need to take action on all pending matters, including those mentioned in annex II to the report of the Ad Hoc Working Group (A/75/973, annex). It is also important that all recommendations made by the Working Group have clear timelines for their implementation. Secondly, we need to redouble our efforts to reach the widest possible agreement among States. The Special Committee on the Rationalization of the Procedures and Organization of the General Assembly concluded that, “[C]onsensus is desirable when it contributes to the effective and lasting settlement of differences, thus strengthening the authority of the United Nations” (A/520/Rev.19, para.104). Therefore, we believe that the General Assembly needs to strive for consensus wherever possible. We need to promote inclusive consultations and dialogue within the General Assembly and its Main Committees and ensure that meaningful engagements trump a take-it- or-leave-it approach. We therefore propose that the upcoming draft resolution on revitalization also address that important issue, as it touches upon the very foundation of multilateralism. In conclusion, allow me to underline that the Assembly is the place where all nations, big and small, interact on the basis of equality in order to achieve the august ideals enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. We need to continue to ensure that the Assembly discharges its mandate effectively, as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. We need to work on renewing solidarity and political will as well as on strengthening trust and the spirit of international cooperation. Rest assured of Indonesia’s readiness to contribute to and engage constructively in the Ad Hoc Working Group in pursuit of our common goals and objectives.

Let me begin by expressing my appreciation to you, Mr. President, for having convened this meeting. I should like also to congratulate Ambassador Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia, and Ambassador González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, on their reappointment as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group and for their leadership in the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly. Viet Nam aligns itself with the statements made by the representative of Malaysia on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the representative of Algeria on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. As the only United  Nations organ with the representation of all Member States, the General Assembly plays a crucial role in guiding the work of the United  Nations and in upholding the Charter of the United  Nations and international law. It is the chief deliberative and policy-making organ of the United Nations to discuss and make recommendations on global issues. Therefore, the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly is vital to the comprehensive reform of the United Nations. We should continue our efforts to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the General Assembly to make the United Nations fit for purpose and enable it to respond effectively and meaningfully to present and emerging global challenges. We are encouraged by the progress achieved thus far on all clusters and welcome the continued deliberations on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, including the discussions held during the seventy-sixth session on the role and authority of the General Assembly and its working methods. On strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, we welcome the convening of the second transition workshop for the Office aimed at that goal. It is also important to ensure continuity among the various sessions of the Office in order to enhance institutional power and memory in general. In addition, the relationship between the principal organs of the United Nations should be strengthened, first and foremost to ensure cooperation, coordination and the exchange of information among the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. In that regard, we are of the view that in order to enhance the transparency of the Office, Member States should receive updates about the substantive issues raised during the regular meetings of the heads of the principal United  Nations organs, for instance the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council. On the selection and appointment of the Secretary- General and other executive heads, we welcome the progress made in ensuring a more transparent process of the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General. At the same time, we emphasize the need to ensure that the process of the selection and appointment of senior United  Nations posts is transparent and merit-based, ensuring gender parity and promoting geographical balance in appointments to individual positions. Last but not least, we welcome the efforts made by Member States in streamlining General Assembly resolutions, reporting requirements and committees. We believe that to further revitalize the work of the General Assembly, discussions should be more results- oriented, with specific outcomes, so as to meet the interests and aspirations of Member States. The General Assembly should also make efforts to find solutions and ways to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development within existing United Nations budget resources, eliminating duplication among its various entities and improving transparency and accountability. We welcome the programme of work shared by the co-Chairs at the beginning of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group during the seventy-sixth session, which provided a useful and clear road map for Member States to prepare for and participate in the discussion. We hope to see similar guidelines to prepare for our discussions ahead. In conclusion, Viet Nam would like to reaffirm its readiness to work in close cooperation with you, Mr. President, and other delegations to enhance the role of the General Assembly and push forward the reform of the United Nations.

The Republic of Belarus aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Algeria on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. We wish also to congratulate the Permanent Representatives of Australia and El Salvador, His Excellency Mr. Mitchell Fifield and Her Excellency Mrs. Egriselda González López, on their reappointment as co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly during the seventy- seventh session. We express our gratitude to the co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group and to the staff of the delegations for their tireless efforts to enhance the role, authority, efficiency and effectiveness of this principal organ of the United Nations, namely, the General Assembly. We reaffirm that the principles of multilateralism, transparency, accountability, integrity and cooperation must remain the bedrock of the work of the United Nations. We are staunchly of the view that there is a need to avoid duplication in the work of the General Assembly and its main committees and the Economic and Social Council. We believe that the General Assembly’s agenda should take account of present-day realities so as to avoid rehashing issues. We welcome the proposals and measures aimed at democratizing the process of the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other senior executives to ensure geographical balance in the selection of candidates to key positions. Given the importance of ensuring a smooth annual rotation of the presidency of the General Assembly, we stress the need to issue a compendium of best practices from previous sessions of the General Assembly, which could serve to strengthen the institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly. In our opinion, in order to maintain that institutional memory, the outgoing President should inform the incoming President of best practices and lessons learned from previous sessions. We believe that the key to any change and reform in the Organization is our cooperation, based not just on the desire to persuade our partners of the rightness of our own views but, most important, on our ability to listen to our interlocutors. Moreover, while maintaining a genuine desire to achieve the expected results, we must actively seek a compromise while remaining impartial and ensuring an appropriate level of analysis in the conduct of debates. States are perfectly capable of further improving the General Assembly during its current session.

I thank you, Mr. President, for having convened a meeting on this important issue. I take this opportunity to reaffirm that India supports the statement made by the representative of Algeria on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. We also extend our appreciation to the Permanent Representatives of Australia and El Salvador as the co-Chairs at the seventy-sixth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, congratulate them on their reappointment and wish them success. My delegation will extend full support to them for a productive outcome. The primacy and legitimacy of the General Assembly flows from the inclusive nature of its membership and the principle of the sovereign equality of all its constituents. The universal character of the General Assembly and the moral weight of its decisions and opinions cannot be overemphasized. The world is facing turbulent times. The General Assembly, the main organ of the United Nations, has a major role to play in addressing the challenges. Thus the revitalization of the General Assembly to transform it into an effective and efficient organ is an important collective endeavour for its Member States. There is a growing perception that the General Assembly has gradually lost touch with its foundational responsibilities and has become overwhelmed with processes. Moreover, the attempts to discuss thematic issues in the Security Council have also undermined the role and authority of the General Assembly. We must admit that some of the blame lies with the General Assembly and its member States for having allowed its relevance to be diluted despite being the collective voice of nations. That surely undermines the overall effectiveness and relevance of the United Nations. India has always been of the view that the General Assembly can be revitalized only when its position as the primary deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the United Nations is respected in letter and in spirit. Any discussion of the revitalization of the General Assembly leads us to the foundational objective whereby the Charter of the United  Nations gives the General Assembly a distinct leadership role. Article 10 of the Charter mandates the General Assembly to discuss any question or matter within the scope of the Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any organs provided for in the Charter, except as provided in Article 12. The General Assembly must therefore take the lead in setting the global agenda and restoring the primacy of the United Nations in adopting a multilateral approach to resolving existing and emerging global challenges. For a revitalized General Assembly that is in tune with the challenges of our times, we need to draw inspiration from the high standards that the General Assembly set for itself right at the beginning of its journey. With the passage of time, there have been several occasions on which the General Assembly has led from the front while setting a global agenda and facing the challenges. For instance, the Sustainable Development Summit, in 2015, followed by the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the high- level meeting on universal health coverage are examples of how the General Assembly can set the global agenda and galvanize the global community to solve common problems and challenges. It is therefore incumbent upon us to remain vigilant in ensuring that the General Assembly retains its leadership role and strengthens its capability to address the global challenges. We also hope the various streams of the Our Common Agenda process will be deliberated in an inclusive manner and that decisions will be taken by consensus so as to ensure its effective implementation. Towards that end, we call for more effective working methods and better and inclusive engagement among member States during negotiation processes in the General Assembly. The process of the revitalization of the General Assembly is an urgent obligation. While we have made some progress, we must not forget that we have a long way to go. We believe that multipolarity, rebalancing, fair globalization and reformed multilateralism cannot be kept in abeyance. The call for reformed multilateralism  — with reforms of the Security Council at its core  — enjoys considerable support among States Members of the United Nations. It does so because of the widespread recognition that the current architecture is anachronistic and ineffective. It is also perceived as deeply unfair, denying entire continents and regions a voice in a forum that deliberates their future. India is prepared to take up greater responsibilities. India will be a constructive and active participant in any process that allows serious negotiations on such a critical matter to proceed sincerely. They must not be blocked by procedural tactics. Naysayers cannot hold the intergovernmental negotiations process hostage in perpetuity. India fully supports any initiative that genuinely furthers the objective of achieving a meaningful and comprehensive reform of the key elements of the global multilateral architecture. Lastly, I assure you, Mr. President, that you can count on my delegation’s positive support and participation in the process of the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly.

I must congratulate Ambassadors Mitch Fifield and Egriselda González López on their reappointment. At the outset, my delegation would like to reiterate that the revitalization of the General Assembly is a political process and that its principal objective should be to strengthen the role of the General Assembly as the main deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the United Nations. In addition, my delegation believes that attempts to undermine the role played by the General Assembly through perceived encroachment must be countered and discouraged at all costs. While reaffirming resolutions 73/341, of 12 September 2019, and 74/303, of 4 September 2020, and all other previous resolutions adopted by consensus related to the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, my delegation would like to remind members of the role and authority of the General Assembly and the need for strict respect of the Charter-based prerogatives and division of work among the principal organs of the United Nations. There has undoubtedly been a sustained effort to make the work of the General Assembly more focused and relevant. That was identified as a priority during the fifty-eighth session, and efforts continued at subsequent sessions to streamline the agenda, improve the practices and working methods of the Main Committees, enhance the role of the General Committee, strengthen the role and authority of the President and examine the Assembly’s role in the process of selecting the Secretary-General. We might also recall that during the seventieth and seventy-first sessions, the Assembly adopted landmark resolutions on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly that, inter alia, established an oath of office and a code of ethics for the Presidents of the General Assembly and provided for informal interactive dialogues with candidates for the position of President of the General Assembly. The practice of convening high-level thematic debates, we will recall, is also a direct outcome of the revitalization process, which is commendable. It has become an established practice for the Secretary-General to brief Member States periodically, as we have seen, in informal meetings of the General Assembly, on his recent activities and travels. Those briefings have provided a well-received opportunity for exchange between the Secretary-General and Member States. Let me now turn to the circumstances of developing countries and smaller States. It has become difficult to attend all the high-level and side events organized in parallel with the general debate. As such, we suggest that the side events organized in parallel with the general debate of the Assembly should be kept to a minimum. We note that with the commencement of the in-person meetings in the post-coronavirus-disease period has created a situation in which the resources of the smaller delegations are exploited beyond their capacity to focus on side events, which results in an impediment to giving priority to the main meetings of the General Assembly. We remain hopeful that that aspect will be addressed as a matter of priority in future. Another aspect that I thought we should focus on is the opportunity for multiple statements to be made prior to the adoption of or voting on a draft resolution. You will recall, Mr. President, that member States are entitled to make a general statement on the draft resolution discussed, followed by an explanation of vote before the vote and one after the vote, and, finally, to two rights of reply, if we are lucky enough not to have points of order being raised from time to time. With all due respect to member States, it would appear that that right is being overexploited, resulting in a failure to economize on time, which compels the extension of the time frames allocated to the various committees, entails consequent costs and results in an unavailability of support services such as interpreters and connected back-up staff. We would also like to see greater consultation between the Secretariat and the Member States in the structuring of the programme of work, particularly concerning activities of an informal nature, which closely follows the procedures of a formal meeting. It is important that Member States not feel left out of the planning process and the selection of resource persons. It is also important that the selection of resource persons adequately reflect a balanced geographical distribution of such persons wherever possible, unless there is a compelling rationale for doing otherwise. Arbitrariness in that process must be discouraged, as it can be anathema to procedural priority and the rule of law. In the long term, my delegation would like to encourage you, Mr. President, to optimize the informal dialogue format by minimizing duplication of questions and ensuring more time for responses. In certain instances, we have observed that the main focus of the Assembly is diverted owing to the same issues being raised repeatedly by the same delegations in different forms. That leads to a situation in which the time allocated to more substantive issues is limited. As such, doubts have been raised in the minds of many whether the outcome envisioned by the theme of the seventy-third session, “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”, has been fully realized. In conclusion, Sri Lanka wishes to commend all past Secretaries-General and Presidents of the General Assembly for their unstinting commitment to the revitalization of the Assembly. We remain hopeful and have reason to believe that the working methods of the General Assembly will be made more meaningful under your leadership, Mr. President, in the time to come, thanks to the efforts to revitalize its work. We are pleased with your style and manner in interacting with the member States at many levels and through the creation of the General Committee in a frank and transparent manner, as well as the sharing of your ideas with the membership. What greater democracy can we have than through consultation and the ability to draw on such consultation? At the same time, we would highlight the need to maintain the transparency, democracy and inclusivity of all Member States in the context of that endeavour, which will be vital to realizing the targets envisioned under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

We welcome the convening of today’s meeting of the General Assembly on the implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations and the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly. The Russian delegation continues to constructively participate in the discussions on the revitalization agenda of the General Assembly. Our efforts should be apolitical in nature and aimed primarily at improving the effectiveness of the Assembly. That goal can largely be achieved through a further fine-tuning of working methods and a streamlining of the still overburdened agenda. In particular, it is necessary to continue work and ensure that certain agenda items of the Assembly are transitioned to a biennial or triennial basis and that those that are no longer relevant are deleted. In that connection, we are convinced that the decision to consider resolutions on revitalization once every two years would make it possible to more effectively implement their provisions and analyse the results. We support the initiatives to lessen the burden of the high-level week during the general political debate. The relevant activities can be evenly distributed throughout the work of the session. At the same time, it is important that such changes reflect the interests of all Member States. The process of revitalization should not result in any redistribution of powers to the General Assembly from other statutory organs, including the Security Council. We therefore unreservedly insist on strict compliance with the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United  Nations on the principal responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security. We wish to recall that the General Assembly, pursuant to article 12 of the Charter, shall not make any recommendation pertaining to issues under consideration by the Security Council. We categorically object to the now-popular practice of using the General Assembly platform for vociferous public relations campaigns aimed at demonizing certain Member States. We believe that such measures irrevocably undermine the Assembly and its authority and are counterproductive in terms of genuinely resolving certain international issues. In recent years, much attention has been paid to issues relating to increasing transparency and democracy in the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General. We stand ready to continue efforts to reasonably streamline the existing procedure. At the same time, we believe that this idea must be carefully considered, first and foremost to ensure that it stringently adheres to the Charter of the United Nations, pursuant to which the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. It should also be borne in mind that the main goal is to select the most worthy candidate for the post of Secretary-General. Too much codification of the procedure can only result in undesirable consequences. The question of the implementation of the resolutions of the General Assembly is key to us. Most of the decisions taken in this Hall are aimed at improving many aspects of human existence, and, of course, those must and will be implemented, because it is in our common interest. At the same time, in recent years, especially this year, a relatively small group of Western States has been trying to hijack the General Assembly by openly exerting pressure to transform it into a tool to advance its parochial agendas, attempting to divide it on the principle that “those who are not with us are against us”. Resolutions of the General Assembly adopted on the basis of such a paradigm are null and void and will not be implemented. Only a constructive dialogue and a willingness to heed and take into account the views of all parties will help to ensure the effective work of any body of the United Nation system. In conclusion, we wish the co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the revitalization of the General Assembly — the Permanent Representatives of Australia and El Salvador — every success in their work.

Allow me at the outset to thank President Csaba Kőrösi for the trust invested in me once again in my position as co-Chair, together with my esteemed colleague and friend, Ambassador Mitchell Peter Fifield, Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations, of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly at this seventy-seventh session. In my role as co-Chair and on behalf of El Salvador, allow me to reiterate our full readiness to deploy our best efforts to continue to ensure that the Ad Hoc Working Group can contribute to strengthening multilateralism and the role of the General Assembly, thus enhancing its efficacy and efficiency in fulfilling the mandates that we, the Member States, have entrusted to it. As has been highlighted, after agreement was reached on the biennial consideration of this agenda item at the seventy-sixth session, the Ad Hoc Working Group has been focused on the implementation of resolution 75/325 and on tackling the functions and authority of the Assembly and its working methods. We thank delegations for their involvement and constructive participation and their valiant support of the Secretariat during the holding of the thematic debates and the interactive dialogue with the Permanent Missions. On that basis, important contributions have been compiled, that, as various delegations have indicated, have been circulated by the co-Chairs in their letter dated 25 August 2022. I would like to highlight just some aspects that we believe deserve the Assembly’s attention and are, as others have noted, one of the bases of the work that we are going to undertake in the coming months. First, we need to continue the debate on how we can ensure the continued functioning of the Assembly in situations of disruption, with the aim of strengthening its adaptability and resilience in extraordinary circumstances. Secondly, we must touch on the advantages and disadvantages of the use of technologies and digital platforms, considering in particular how the implementation of said technologies can contribute to minimizing the challenges that Member States are facing in terms of ensuring their participation. Thirdly, we would stress the importance of increasing gender parity among the speakers and panellists invited to high-level meetings and meetings of the General Assembly. That approach, we believe, must be extended to all processes of the General Assembly, including facilitation. Fourthly, equitable geographic representation is a key element in maintaining the inclusivity of the General Assembly, as is respect for multilingualism, which should also be reflected in the selection of panellists and speakers who are invited to high-level meetings, as well as in all meetings of the General Assembly and its intergovernmental processes, inter alia. At the current session, we will also be tackling, as other delegations have mentioned, discussions on strengthening accountability, transparency and the institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, as well as the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads. Those are very important issues not only for the General Assembly but for the Organization as a whole. We have listened attentively to the interventions made by delegations in this forum, and I thank them for their willingness to move forward together in the revitalization of our General Assembly. I echo the call made by the Permanent Representative of Singapore to be bold and to drive forward innovation in this area. We also have another crucial task: the negotiation of the draft resolution on revitalization. We hope that the Working Group will continue to be a dedicated platform for strengthening this principal organ for the adoption of policies and representation of the United Nations in such a way as to ensure that we are better equipped to tackle the challenges that we are now facing. I also welcome the call made by President Kőrösi to strengthen multilateralism by ensuring the greater relevance of the General Assembly. As the President indicated, we have at our disposal various important intergovernmental processes, including the Summit of the Future and Our Common Agenda. However, a strengthened and revitalized General Assembly that is able to achieve that goal is vital to translate all those agreements into reality. Revitalization should therefore be considered in the various committees of the General Assembly, with a view to using this agenda item to reflect on how to improve its working methods. It is that political effort of prioritization, as the representative of Ecuador has just mentioned, that should be implemented and materialized here, but, above all, we must work even harder to streamline the agenda of the Assembly. The revitalization of the General Assembly is thus a continual process that requires the full attention, commitment and constructive involvement of all Member States in order to achieve concrete results that will benefit the entire Organization. To that end, it will be necessary to carefully consider the gains we have made through working groups, as members have noted during this meeting, some of which are the direct result of the specific mandates handed down by the Group through various resolutions. We must also reflect on challenges to the implementation of existing revitalization mandates and the challenges that we are still facing daily in order to ensure that the work that we do in the Assembly is more effective and efficient and has a greater impact on the people outside of this Organization. We must not forget that this process depends largely on how the General Assembly tackles current global challenges and how the decisions that we take affect the peoples that we serve and to whom we are accountable. As a result, we invite and encourage delegations to involve themselves in a process of negotiation that is focused on action during this session. My dear friend and co-Chair, Ambassador Mitch Fifield, gave his telephone number earlier, which we could say is a hotline for revitalization, so please take this into account, because we also want this process to be inclusive and transparent and for members to make it their own. We firmly believe that this is an opportunity for us to demonstrate our true commitment to improving the capacities of the Organization so that it can continue to make relevant contributions to international peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on these items. I should like, from the Chair, to thank members and ask them to indulge me, as a co-Chair of the Working Group, in also thanking colleagues for their contributions. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda items 123 and 124.

Members are reminded that the debate on this item will be held at a later date to be announced. I now give the floor to the representative of Sierra Leone to introduce draft resolution A/77/L.8.

I take this opportunity to commend Mr. Kőrösi’s stewardship of the General Assembly at this seventy-seventh session. I bring him and the Assembly warm greetings from His Excellency Mr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, and his best wishes for the smooth adoption of the draft resolution contained in document A/77/L.8, entitled: “World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence”, which I have the honour to introduce. My participation in this meeting is clear testimony of the importance that the President and the Government of Sierra Leone attach to the concerns of women, children and the marginalized. That is part of the objectives that Sierra Leone has committed itself to pursue, in service to humankind and the international community, as we look forward to the Assembly’s resounding support for Sierra Leone to serve in the non-permanent category of the Security Council for the term 2024-2025 with similar priorities. On the draft resolution before the Assembly for consideration, I am pleased to inform members that in addition to the main sponsors, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, at least 100 Member States have co-sponsored the draft resolution on e-deleGATE. I thank all the co-sponsors for agreeing to take ownership of this important initiative. Children, especially girls, are at great risk of ex­ periencing forced sex, sexual exploitation, abuse and violence. The prevalence of child sexual abuse and the attendant consequences associated with that scourge have placed that heinous crime among the 24 risk fac­ tors identified by the World Health Organization as sub­ stantively contributing to the global burden of disease. The growing incidence and burden of chronic diseases associated with child sexual exploitation, abuse and violence adversely impact gross domestic product growth as well as economic and social development, especially among developing nations, where the prevalence has been alarming. Preventing child sexual abuse is an emergency, yes, but the necessary work is doable and requires a multisectoral approach. Effective approaches to preventing that menace include supportive parents; teaching positive parenting skills; increasing awareness among Governments, international organizations and civil society on the actions that every stakeholder can take to combat child sexual exploitation, abuse and violence. We therefore call for the enhancement of laws that protect children in their homes, online and in their communities and to bring the perpetrators of those heinous crimes to justice. The declaration of United  Nations international days to call on, sensitize and educate the public on issues of concern, in order to mobilize the necessary political will and resources to address the global problems impacting humankind, have proved to be effective tools of advocacy for the public good and social justice. The adoption of this draft resolution today to declare 18 November as World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence will, accordingly, lead to increased awareness of child sexual abuse. Through the adoption of the draft, States Members of the United  Nations will be committing to mobilizing our respective Governments, international organizations and civil society not only to act but also to promote greater understanding of the impact of childhood sexual abuse on victims and on their families, communities and the world at large. More importantly, the clarion call is to eliminate the shame and stigma associated with child sexual abuse by elevating the voices of victims and survivors and to provide a platform for international collaboration to urge Governments, international organizations and civil society to dedicate resources for the prevention of all forms of child sexual abuse, healing and justice for its victims. The Government of Sierra Leone is exceedingly grateful to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the collaboration in pioneering and facilitating the process with Sierra Leone that has led to the submission of this draft resolution for consideration and adoption by the General Assembly. On the process, I am pleased to note that Nigeria and Sierra Leone, as co-facilitators, led open and transparent consultations and negotiations in which all delegations were able to express their views. Substantively, the draft resolution contains five preambular paragraphs and four operative paragraphs. The preambular paragraphs recall the relevant human rights instruments and resolutions of the General Assembly, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which places the dignity of children and their right to live free from violence as a priority on the international development agenda and is relevant to ending exploitation, abuse, trafficking, torture and all forms of violence and harmful practices against our children. In expressing grave concern that children, especially girls, are at a greater risk of experiencing forced sex, sexual exploitation, abuse and violence, including both online and offline, the preambular paragraphs also affirm the need to eliminate and prevent all forms of child sexual exploitation, abuse and violence and to promote their dignity and rights, including their mental and physical health and healing. Through the operative paragraphs, the General Assembly would proclaim 18 November each year as the World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence and invite all Member States, the relevant international organizations, world leaders, faith actors, civil society, academic institutions, the private sector and other stakeholders to commemorate the day each year in a manner that each considers most appropriate. Commemorating the day may include commitments to ensure quality education and to raise public awareness of those impacted by child sexual abuse and the need to prevent and eliminate child sexual exploitation, abuse and violence, and the imperative to hold perpetrators to account. It is also aimed at ensuring access of survivors and victims to justice and remedies, as well as to facilitate open discussion on the need to prevent and eliminate their stigmatization, promote their healing, affirm their dignity and protect their rights. We are therefore deeply grateful for the broad support that this draft resolution has received. We would like to thank all delegations for their very constructive engagement and active support. We once again thank all Member States that have co-sponsored the draft and call on those who are yet to do so to co-sponsor the draft resolution before its adoption. We hope that all Member States will support our efforts to adopt this draft resolution by consensus. We once again thank the Federal Republic of Nigeria for partnering with Sierra Leone, and we thank the Secretariat for its technical support and advice. We take this opportunity to thank Global Collaborative for its support and engagement throughout the process. In closing, at the United  Nations we believe that dignity is fundamental and an inalienable human right. Let us therefore work to preserve the dignity of our children; protect their childhood; restore the dignity of victims and survivors of child exploitation, abuse and violence; and bring them justice and healing. Here I want to say to the world, “Hands off our girls”.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/77/L.8, entitled “World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence”. I now give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution, and in addition to the delegations listed in document A/77/L.8, the following countries have also become co-sponsors of the draft. It is a rather long list, so please bear with me. They are: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, the Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, the Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithu­ ania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slo­ venia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Brit­ ain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, the Bolivarian Republic of Ven­ ezuela, Yemen and Zambia.

May I take it that the As­ sembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/77/L.8?

I now give the floor to the observer of the Observer State of the Holy See. Archbishop Caccia (Holy See): The Holy See would like to congratulate Nigeria and Sierra Leone on their leadership and efforts throughout the negotiations on resolution 77/8, entitled “World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence”. Our delegation commends the fact that the resolution adopted today focuses squarely on the inalienable dignity of children, recognizing their right to live free from violence. As such, the inauguration of a day to underscore the importance of ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children is to be warmly welcomed.

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 131.