A/77/PV.74 General Assembly

In accordance with rule 30 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, I now invite members to proceed to the election of the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. May I recall that, in accordance with paragraph 1 of the annex to resolution 33/138, of 19 December 1978, the President of the General Assembly at its seventy- eighth session should be elected from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. In that connection, the Chair of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States for the month of February 2023 informed the Secretariat that the Group has endorsed His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis, Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago, for the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy- eighth session. Taking into account the provisions of paragraph 16 of decision 34/401, I therefore declare His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago elected by acclamation as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. On behalf of the Assembly, I wholeheartedly congratulate His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. Mr. Francis brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from his nearly 40 years of service in Trinidad and Tobago’s diplomatic service, making him the longest-serving Ambassador of his country. Many of us already know Mr. Francis from his tenure in New York as Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations since 2021. In his distinguished career, Mr. Francis has served as Senior Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on all multilateral matters, including climate change and the negotiations for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — all key fundamentals to our work here at the United Nations. Mr. Francis’ vision for the seventy-eighth session — ­focused on peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability  — offers a comprehensive view of the work of the General Assembly as we rebuild trust in and within this institution, tackle climate change and strive to get the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track. With his extensive experience and unique perspective coming from a small island developing State, I am confident that the General Assembly will be in capable hands during the next session. As Mr. Francis prepares to take office in September, my team and I will continue to do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition. In the nearly 100 days left until then, much work remains to be done. The cascading crises that shepherded the start of my term still require the General Assembly to identify and adopt solution-oriented approaches. Crisis management and transformation remain the dual approach to guide our vision and actions in the Assembly. Working with the members of General Assembly, I will continue to promote the use of science for a sustainability transformation, namely, in the preparations for the SDG Summit to be held during the high-level week in September. Ensuring the credibility of the renewed political commitment to the implementation of our goals will be a key to the success of the Summit. We must also urgently put into action the game changers elaborated by the United Nations 2023 Water Conference in order to provide answers and solutions to the unfolding water crisis. We cannot let the momentum stop. The members of General Assembly have my full attention and support as we advance the revitalization of the Assembly, using methods that are bearing results. Those include the meetings of the General Committee, which have ensured coordination across the 16 negotiating processes, sharpening the focus of our work, as well as those of the Gender Advisory Group, started by my predecessor during the seventy-sixth session. I look forward to working with the President-elect of the General Assembly to ensure a successful handover and continued progress on the many important issues currently on the agenda of the United Nations. I now invite His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis, who has just been elected President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session, to take the floor.

Allow me, Mr. President, to congratulate you on your astute leadership and management of the General Assembly during the current session. Your calm demeanour and steady hands lend to our deliberations an atmosphere of assurance and control that usually profits the multilateral process. Today I stand humbly before this Hall of plenipotentiaries, with immense gratitude to all 193 United Nations States Members for the confidence they have reposed in me to serve as President of the Assembly at its seventy-eighth session, an undertaking that is both an honour and a privilege. I have been overwhelmed — and yet at the same time buoyed — by the extraordinary demonstrations of support, solidarity and goodwill that have consistently accompanied me on this journey over several months. My heart is truly full, even as I remain keenly aware that being called to serve as President of the General Assembly of the United Nations constitutes a weighty responsibility. It is often said that education is the great liberator, lifting people up the social ladder and strengthening society in the process. That assessment is not only valid but also a truism. I exemplify that pattern, having over the course of my career repeatedly found myself in places and called on to undertake onerous responsibilities. Such experiences would not have seen the light of day had I not had great parents who appreciated the extraordinary power and potential of education. Moreover, I am part of a generation that benefited from an enlightened Government policy that challenged and democratized the colonial practice, whereby education, by State policy, was reserved exclusively for the privileged — that is, only for those with the means to afford it. Therefore, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), when we postpone or neglect to offer support to the millions the world over who lack access to quality education, are we not consigning them facelessly to an intergenerational cycle of poverty, degradation and misery from which they are hardly likely to emerge? It seems to me that the more pragmatic choice would be to do all that we can materially to save those children and young people from near-certain defeat — defeat of circumstance — by affording them, through education, the option of choice and therefore the capacity to self-actualize, for their own benefit and that of their communities and societies. I find that to be a compelling argument for an all-out effort, come the forthcoming SDG Summit, to recommit and re-energize action towards completing and delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs and ensuring the empowerment of people everywhere through the removal of the shackles that constrain their growth and independence and deny them any possibility of creating their own success. The pursuit of policies that support and encourage investing in people and therefore in the creation of social capital in the medium and long term is arguably among the most effective strategies for promoting and achieving sustainable development. It is education that brought me to this place and ultimately to this podium, and I am so proud and gratified to have been born in a country, Trinidad and Tobago, that for almost 70 years has ascribed the highest value to education. Allow me therefore to express my profound appreciation to my Minister, Senator the Honourable Mr. Amery Browne, and through him, to the people and the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for believing me worthy of shouldering this awesome responsibility as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. Over the 40-odd years of my career as a diplomat, it never once occurred to me that I would find myself sitting as the President of the General Assembly. But as I look back, it was my good fortune to have been schooled by some of the finest and most accomplished diplomats Trinidad and Tobago has ever produced; foremost among them being the late Mr. Lennox Fitzroy Ballah, former Head of the Foreign Service of Trinidad and Tobago, a brilliant international lawyer and former member of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, who tutored and indeed mentored several generations of professional foreign service officers, insisting always that the target must be excellence. I pay tribute to him and to several other distinguished masters of diplomacy, whose dedication and work have left an indelible mark on Trinidad and Tobago. I am ever conscious of the sensitivity and weight of responsibility that serving as President of the General Assembly imposes on the incumbent. In that regard, I commit to discharging the responsibilities of the Office with transparency, accountability, vigour and dedication, bearing in mind that all members have equal rights. On Trinidad and Tobago’s admittance to the United Nations in 1962, Sir Ellis Clarke, the country’s first Permanent Representative, in making a comparison between its population and that of the international community, affirmed that it has, however, developed in its society tolerance, camaraderie, respect for the rights of others, an unswerving opposition to oppression, injustice and racial discrimination, a love of liberty, a supreme faith in the dignity and worth of the human person and belief in the value of cooperation. Those principles will form the basis of my actions as President of the General Assembly. I will prioritize encouraging and facilitating meaningful dialogue, in various formats, in order to ensure that there is clarity of priorities and the strengthening of common purpose in the interest of coherence. It is my hope to bring forward, with members’ help and support, a renewed atmosphere of conciliation, cooperation and shared commitment in addressing the many challenges and seizing every opportunity, however nascent, before the General Assembly. I will seek to enhance current approaches and adopt new ones with probable solutions, as we endeavour to deliver or at least to strengthen the bases for delivering peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability. I count on members’ support during the impending session and call for their fulsome engagement in good faith as we purposively accelerate our action towards the achievement of sustainable development for the benefit of all. Permit me to end on a personal note by expressing my special thanks to my hard-working staff at the Mission whose exceptional devotion to duty and professionalism is a matter of great personal pride and satisfaction. I should also like to thank my six siblings for their unending love and loyalty, whom I know will say to me, “don’t think you’re the President here; you are still the last.” I nevertheless thank them for a lifetime of support and for being here with me today, either in person or virtually, to share this moment of jubilation. I also thank my lifelong friends from the class of 1973 of Woodbrook Secondary school, whose genuine friendship and love I can never get too much of. And finally, I express my grateful thanks to my dear wife, Joy, whose smile lights up my day every day and whose love, support and encouragement contributed in no small way to making this day possible. Finally, I share with the Assembly a recent discovery which is most interesting. The Latin translation of the words “all glory to God” is soli Deo gloria  — SDG. Perhaps that is more than a coincidence.

I thank the President-elect of the General Assembly. I now give the floor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency António Guterres.

I am very pleased to join everyone for the election of the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. I would like to congratulate the esteemed President- elect, His Excellency Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, on being elected to lead the next session. However, allow me to say a few words about the current President  — His Excellency Csaba Kőrösi of Hungary — who has guided the Assembly’s work with diplomatic skill, stewardship and dedication during this year. His commitment to solutions through solidarity, sustainability and science has shone through his presidency, from ensuring a well-coordinated and ambitious United Nations Water Conference to advancing preparations towards the Sustainable Development Goal summit in September and the summit of the future next year and to championing the science-based validation of sustainability investments and so much more. On a personal level, I will miss his advice and guidance. Our conversations together on a range of global issues never failed to enlighten. And I am always deeply impressed by his knowledge of and commitment to the role and function of the United Nations. We will miss him. President-elect Francis arrives at a deeply challenging moment for the human family with conflicts and climate chaos; escalating poverty, hunger and inequality; and mistrust and division. Meanwhile, our road map to a better future  — the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development  — is in danger, and the Sustainable Development Goals are slipping out of reach. Across all of these issues, the world looks to the Assembly to unite Member States around common solutions. President-elect Francis brings a wide range of skills, experience and knowledge to this essential task. In addition to his years working closely with multilateral agencies, he is also a respected negotiator and long-serving diplomat, including as his country’s longest-serving Ambassador. Coming from Trinidad and Tobago, he brings a critical perspective to the Assembly. So many of the issues we address here hit small island developing States like his the hardest. That includes the disastrous impacts of climate change and the effects of a deeply unjust global financial system that routinely denies developing countries the debt relief and restructuring, as well as financing, they need to invest in their people. We look forward to the President-elect carrying forward the theme of his presidency — peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability — in the year ahead and to bringing the Assembly together to strengthen global cooperation at this difficult moment. (spoke in French) The General Assembly is a symbol of hope and unity in a world in which they are so often lacking. Through dialogue and consensus-building, we are demonstrating that we can come together around common solutions to the challenges facing our world. On behalf of the entire United Nations system, I wish the President-elect every success as he takes office in September. This Assembly and its President can count on my unflagging support in our efforts to build a better and more peaceful future for all.

I have the honour to deliver the following statement on behalf of the Group of African States at this very important informal interaction with the President-elect of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. At the outset and on behalf of the Africa Group, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis on his election to lead the General Assembly at its seventy- eighth session. The seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly coincides with multifaceted global challenges, starting from the impacts of climate change and food and energy insecurity the world over to the worrisome proliferation of armed conflicts. We are hopeful that his wealth of experience will be beneficial in contributing to our collective efforts to safely traverse the journey during and beyond these difficult times. We are particularly encouraged to note that he personally recognizes the enormous weight of the leadership of the United Nations and his commitment to ensuring that we outlive these challenges and come out stronger. The African Group will continue to support the Office of the President of the General Assembly in that regard. In the same vein, the African Group takes this opportunity to pay tribute to His Excellency Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi as the outgoing President of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly for his decisive leadership, particularly during these challenging times. Against all odds, during the seventy-seventh session, he skilfully charted new grounds for exemplary leadership in crises and thus set an unprecedented tone that will define the future functioning of our delicate intergovernmental processes in many ways in the years ahead, on which his successor will build upon. The African Group listened very attentively to the President-elect during his interaction with the Group on 18 May and we have also carefully considered the President-elect’s vision statement. The African Group took note of the pledges, principles and the priorities identified therein, as they are aligned with the African Union theme for this year: the acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation. By way of emphasis, the African Group wishes to highlight the following non-exhaustive list of issues that deserve continued attention during the seventy- eighth session of the General Assembly. First and foremost, it must be stressed that independence, impartiality and integrity are key to enable the President of the General Assembly to successfully conduct his functions and responsibilities. Second, the development of Africa is a standing integral part of the identified eight main priorities of the United Nations for many years, as again reaffirmed in many General Assembly resolutions. The African Group therefore counts on the good leadership of the President-elect to maintain that dedicated attention on Africa across all the pillars of the programme of work of the Organization, including with regard to the allocation of requisite resources for critical programmes. Third, we agree with the emphasis on developing countries, including countries in special situations, among them the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and the small island developing States. Again, we recall that for a very good reason the special needs of Africa were highlighted in the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2), adopted two decades ago in 2000. Fourth, it is our hope that the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly will also continue to follow up on commitments to Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) and the Sustaining Peace Agenda, in furtherance to the obligation under the Charter of the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security and in line with national ownership and leadership of the countries concerned. Thanks to the partnership between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations, Africa is making progress, but there remain some challenges. Here I wish to underline the crucial need for sustainable, predictable and adequate financing for the AU-led peace support operations authorized by the Security Council. The African Group reiterate its fate, in the spirit of multilateralism, to address this challenge through the General Assembly, which represents the will of the entire membership. Fifth, as part of the “Africa We Want” vision, embodied in the AU’s Agenda 2063, silencing the guns in Africa, as well as the women and peace and security agenda are some of the imperatives for sustainable peace and development that must be achieved. Sixth, in order to realize social progress and uplift the living standards of our peoples and promote universal human rights for all, the African Group takes seriously the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 17 SDGs constitute a solid blueprint, and their complete delivery by 2030 hinges upon adherence to the clarion call by Secretary- General António Guterres for the SDG decade of action. Advancing progress in that area is also contingent upon establishing viable partnerships to close the SDG financing gap. In that regard, the African Group looks forward to the deliberations of the upcoming SDG Summit, as well as the Summit of the Future. Seventh, as already acknowledged, climate change is a real existential threat to our survival and livelihoods. The accompanying natural disasters, environmental impacts, land degradation and desertification severely undermine agricultural production and compound food insecurity in our region. We therefore hope that this issue continues to be a priority for the General Assembly. Eighth, there has never been a time more crucial for the promotion and preservation of multilateralism than today. The African Group believes that, under the President-elect’s able leadership, we have a timely opportunity at the seventy-eighth anniversary of the United Nations to recommit to multilateralism and make it a collective reality. Beyond that, as we witness a global outcry for racial equality, the African Group counts on the good leadership of the President-elect to join hands with the Secretary-General and our world leaders to ensure that the General Assembly stands united behind an intolerance-free United Nations environment, across all its institutions. There is absolutely no place for any form of intolerance or discriminatory practice in multinational forums such as United Nations. In conclusion, on behalf of the Group of African States, I would like once again to congratulate the President-elect, His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis, and express the Group’s readiness to work closely with him in the fulfilment of our shared goals and objectives during the seventy-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.

I would kindly request that participants share their well-deserved expressions of congratulations to the President-elect of the seventy- eighth session of the General Assembly after this meeting, thus allowing the whole to concentrate on the statements by the Groups of States and the forthcoming remaining elections that will take place in few minutes. An opportunity to congratulate the President-elect will be provided right after this meeting. I now give the floor to the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Asia-Pacific States.

It is my great honour and privilege to address the General Assembly today on behalf of the Group of Asia-Pacific States, offering a word of gratitude to the Office of the President of the General Assembly for inviting the Chair of the Asia-Pacific Group to make this statement. At the outset, on behalf of the Group of Asia- Pacific States. I would like to convey our warmest congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis for his election as President of the United Nations General Assembly for its seventy-eighth session and to wish him every success as he assumes and discharges the function of that high office. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate you, President Csaba Kőrösi, for your leadership of the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session. I assure you, Sir, of our continuing and strong support during the remainder of your tenure as President. Let me conclude by once again congratulating our new President-elect, His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis, and by assuring him of the full support and readiness of the members of the Group of Asia-Pacific States to play their part in whatever is required of them by the presidency of the Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. The unprecedented challenges before us as we prepare to enter the seventy-eighth session remind us of the truly significant, relevant and urgent need for greater than ever solidarity and cooperation.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.

Mr. President, I have the honour to address you on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States to express our sincerest congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis on his election as President of the United Nations General Assembly for its seventy-eighth session. President-elect Francis can count on the cooperation and support of our Group during his term of office. His Excellency Mr. Dennis will assume the presidency at a time when the world will be facing multiple crises, when cooperation and solidarity may sometimes seem to be in short supply. But the unprecedented challenges facing the world can only be effectively addressed through multilateral action. In times like these, the central role of the General Assembly, as the principal and most representative deliberative policy-making body of the United Nations, is more important than ever. In that context, the United Nations must adapt itself to ensuring that its mission is effectively carried out. The world cannot afford inaction by the United Nations. The General Assembly must be more assertive and more decisive, and it must update its ways of taking action. The tradition of working by consensus is another area that needs our attention. We will therefore count on the President-elect’s leadership to guide the Assembly at that critical time. We note with satisfaction the President-elect’s commitment to conducting the work of the General Assembly in line with the principles of inclusiveness and transparency, with the participation of all Member States and in accordance with the United Nations Charter. We see his mandate as an opportunity to strengthen reform and further improve standards within the Office of the President based on the discussions taking place in the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the General Assembly. We also welcome his vision statement and his intention to pursue peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability as pillars underpinning the work of the General Assembly. We also underscore the importance that Latin America and the Caribbean attaches, inter alia, to the eradication of poverty, gender equality, climate action, the promotion of human rights, the fight against racial discrimination and inequality, and the need for these issues to be cross-cutting within the agenda and operations of the United Nations and other bodies of the United Nations system. Similarly, our region attaches great importance to the results of the high-level meetings to be convened at the beginning of President- elect Dennis’ presidency in September, which represent the best opportunity for transformation, as we renew our commitments and accelerate action towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. As has been mentioned repeatedly in this Hall, our commitment to those in vulnerable situations must be paramount. We need urgent actions to go beyond good intentions when it comes to the poorest, women and girls, indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant peoples and people with disabilities, among other groups. Our people need the United Nations to be closer to them. In conclusion, let me thank His Excellency Mr. Csaba Kőrösi for his tireless leadership during the current session and for his initiative to strengthen the contribution of science to the deliberations and decisions of the General Assembly.

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

On behalf of the Group of Western European and other States, I am pleased to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis on the occasion of his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. His considerable experience in international relations and diplomacy, including his experience as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nation, makes him an ideal candidate for this important task. In presenting his vision to the Assembly, he said that we must recognize that being in a state of peace is not necessarily the same as the absence of war and that peace requires constant nurturing, even during times when there are no hostilities. We believe that our common dedication to our strong and people-centred multilateralism is key in that regard. As multilateralism is under attack, we must indeed commit to holding fast to the principle and values of the Charter of the United Nation and reject the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. The Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as the ongoing multifaceted crisis and conflict, have had a devastating impact on our economies and societies and have created alarming consequences for people around the world. It is this Organization’s responsibility to lead the way forward for a better future. We owe it to the next generations. In addition, climate change and its very adverse impact exacerbate the challenges that so many countries and people living in dire conditions are already facing. Last year’s historic resolution 76/300, on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, reinforces the General Assembly’s key role in protecting our planet. It will enable us to redouble efforts towards greater climate action, better tackling environmental degradation, preventing biodiversity loss, protecting the ocean, combating desertification and land degradation and promoting zero waste. The President-elect’s motto of peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability inspires us to work towards solutions. We are at a crossroads and must find ways to unite, deliver and answer the needs of the people. We trust that with the leadership of the President- elect, together with the Secretary-General and in coordination with the other United Nations entities, we can fulfil that vision. He can rest assured that he has the support of the Member States of the Group of Western European and other States in this crucial task. We will work by his side to strengthen the pillars on which the United Nation was founded. The seventy-eighth session is at a crossroads in history. It will be decisive in shaping the future of our multilateral system. By supporting the achievement on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving key processes such as the implementation of Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), we can, as he eloquently said in his vision statement, open up possibilities of a world with boundless opportunity in which nations and people live in harmony with each other and in harmony with nature. During his presidency, we will hold the SDG Summit and the high-level dialogue on financing for development in September. He can rest assured that our Group is committed to accelerating action. We are confident in his commitment to transparency and accountability. We furthermore welcome his commitment to being a bridge builder, to fostering dialogue and to promoting inclusivity among all stakeholders, as well as his attention to rule of law, human rights and youth and gender equality, including in his Office. I cannot end without saying a few words of thanks to the President of the General Assembly at its seventy- seventh session, His Excellency Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, on behalf of all the Member States of the Group of Western European and other States, for the work carried out during his session. Mr. President, your exemplary leadership and determination have been fundamental in driving forward the work of the Assembly. We commend your efforts in leading the most representative organ of the United Nations, as well as your commitment to helping restore trust among nations and strengthen confidence in the multilateral system. With you and through solidarity, sustainability and science, we have reached solutions aimed at renewed progress and the fulfilment of our shared goals.

I now give the floor to the representative of the United States of America, who will speak on behalf of the host country.

As host country of the United Nations, the United States extends our sincere congratulations to Mr. Dennis Francis upon his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. The President-elect’s campaign promised a vision focused on peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability. We appreciate his calls to hold fast to the principles and values of the Charter of the United Nations and to repudiate force. We also share his commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, particularly for women and girls and marginalized populations, as well as combating climate change. The success of his agenda will rest upon our collective commitment to revitalizing the General Assembly and to ensuring that all voices are heard. That means keeping the doors of the United Nations open to multi-stakeholder participation, especially civil society. We look forward to supporting his work. On this special occasion, we also commend President Csaba Kőrösi for his dedicated service and hard work over the past year. Mr. President, we have valued your leadership through extraordinary events and initiatives during this past session, including the management of the eleventh emergency special session, on Ukraine. We have appreciated your management of Our Common Agenda (A/75/982). The productive consultations you convened with Member States were critical to prioritizing our resources to address the greatest and most pressing global needs, including accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We applaud your focus on the importance of data and science in decision-making process, as well as your call for transformative action and leadership to manage the complexities of this year’s high-level week. Your presidency will leave an indelible mark on this Organization and the way its Member States operate. As the host country, the United States applauds the lifetime commitment to public service that the President and President-Elect exemplify, and we look forward to working collaboratively with them to uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter.

I now call on the Minister for Foreign and Caribbean Community Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago.

Please accept my gratitude for your leadership, Mr. President, in steering the work of the current session and for the opportunity to deliver brief remarks on this momentous occasion. I have the honour of conveying the most sincere appreciation of the Government and the people of Trinidad and Tobago to all Member States for their invaluable support in electing today His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. Over our 60 years of membership of this Organization, Trinidad and Tobago’s contributions to multilateralism have influenced and helped shape the work of the United Nations. We have listened to others, including those who do not necessarily share our point of view. We have consistently chosen the path of constructive engagement and, in case where progress would have stalled, we have often sought to serve in the role of bridge-builder. We continue to offer to the world a unique perspective of a small State that deeply values peace and security, equitable development and the rule of law. Yes, we are small, but our size does not limit the scope of our ambition to make a most positive contribution. Our size does not constrain our commitment to humankind in the truest sense of the word, and indeed our small size helps us to recognize the giant value of all nations and to appreciate the giant potential that they bring to this forum. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago holds the firm view that our nation’s attributes will continue to add great value as one of our best and brightest serves as the President of the General Assembly. It is a position that we have never held before in our history and our campaign has underscored our unwavering commitment to the United Nations and its founding principles. Ambassador Dennis Francis is one of our most distinguished diplomats, with more than 40 years of experience and dedication. He is absolutely respected and well admired at the highest levels, and we have every confidence that he will continue to demonstrate great leadership and the highest degree of professionalism in presiding over the work of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. Today the people of my small nation are beaming with pride and enthusiasm, as Trinidad and Tobago continues to do our part to ensure that multilateralism prevails and that no one is left behind. Ever conscious of our solemn duty as a responsible Member of this family of nations, I reaffirm Trinidad and Tobago’s unshakeable faith in the United Nations and its work. Let us all work together in earnest to create a better future for all people and for the generations that will follow us.

I would like to remind members that, in accordance with resolution 70/305, of 13 September 2016, the President-elect of the General Assembly will take an oath of office of his own at the moment of handing over the gavel at the final plenary meeting of the seventy-seventh session. The General Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of agenda item 4. Drawing of lots for the seating protocol for the seventy-eighth regular session

As announced in The Journal of the United Nations, we will now proceed to the drawing of lots to determine the member State that will occupy the first seat in the General Assembly Hall at the seventy- eighth session. In accordance with the established practice, the Secretary-General draws the name of one Member State from a box containing the names of the States members of the General Assembly. The delegation whose name is drawn will occupy the first seat in the General Assembly Hall, and the other countries will follow in English alphabetical order. The same order will be observed in the Main Committees. I now invite the Secretary-General to proceed with the drawing of lots.

I should now like to consult members with a view to proceeding to the election of the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. In accordance with rule 30 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, It is my understanding that, since the elections of the Chairpersons of the Main Committees will conform with paragraph 48 of resolution 72/313, of 17 September 2018, on the pattern for the rotation of the Chairs of the Main Committees from the seventy-fourth to the eighty- third sessions of the General Assembly, it will not have an impact on the geographical distribution of the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly and the representative character of the General Committees. May I take it that the General Assembly therefore agrees to proceed to elect the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly?

In accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of the annex to resolution 33/138, of 19 December 1978, the 21 Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session shall be elected according to the following pattern: six representatives from African States; five representatives from Asia-Pacific States; one representative from Eastern European States; two representatives from Latin American and Caribbean States; two representatives from Western European and other States; and five representatives of the permanent members of the Security Council. In accordance with paragraph 16 of decision 34/401, the election of the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly by secret ballot will be dispensed with when the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled. We shall proceed accordingly. I shall now read the names of the slate of candidates  — African States: Congo, the Gambia, Morocco, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia; Asia-Pacific States: the Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan; Eastern European States: Estonia; Latin American and Caribbean States: the Plurinational State of Bolivia and Suriname; and Western European and other States: Iceland and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Since the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled in each region, I declare those candidates elected, in addition to the five representatives of the permanent members of the Security Council. The following States have therefore been elected to vice-presidencies of the General Assembly at its seventy- eighth session: the Plurinational State of Bolivia, China, the Congo, Estonia, France, the Gambia, Iceland, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Uganda, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, Uzbekistan and Zambia. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the States that have just been elected Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly at its seventh-eighth session.

The United States dissociates itself from the election of Iran as a Vice-President of the General Assembly at its seventy- eighth session. Iran’s record unfortunately speaks for itself. It defies Security Council arms embargoes, violates the human rights of its own citizens and exports violence and weapons, fostering insecurity and inciting violence throughout the Middle East and across the globe. It is a country that has repeatedly demonstrated a clear lack of respect for the Charter of the United Nations and the authority of various United Nations bodies. Iran cannot act as an honest broker in its role as Vice-President of the General Assembly because it has shown, time and time again, that it does not seek to enhance global peace and security but rather works against it. The United States stands opposed to holding Iran in that position and we will continue to oppose Iran’s leadership throughout the United Nations system.

Israel dissociates itself from the election of Iran as a Vice-President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. Iran systematically and bluntly violates all its international obligations, whether by galloping forward with the development of its nuclear programme, enhancing its ballistic capabilities, promoting and financing terrorism around the globe, fostering instability in the Middle East or oppressing and violating the human rights of its own citizens, even executing those who oppose the regime. Iran’s malign activities pose a threat to international peace and security. Moreover, Iran repeatedly threatens the State of Israel, using harsh anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric. It is totally unacceptable that the leadership of a State Member of the United Nations would refer to another State Member as a cancerous growth and publicly call for its annihilation. That is a blatant violation of the Charter of the United Nations. Therefore, it is Israel’s view that the representative of the Iranian regime is unfit to serve in that position.

I am obliged to take the floor to react briefly to the statements made by the representatives of the United States and of the Israeli regime. While we reject the allegations made against my country in those statements, we believe that those remarks are not relevant to the agenda item under discussion. I recall the candidature of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the position of the vice-presidency of the General Assembly at its upcoming session, as well as the candidature of Mr. Ali Balouji of the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations for the position of Rapporteur of the First Committee at the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly. The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a founding Member of the United Nations, has always been an active participant in the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies, representing not only the Asia- Pacific States but also a greater number of Members, especially developing countries. The Islamic Republic of Iran values the work of the General Assembly as the main policymaking organ of the Organization, which provides a unique forum for multilateral discussions on the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Iran has always actively participated in preparing the agendas of the United Nations, ensuring that they align with the priorities and needs of the international community. We regret that certain Members have misused this organ to pursue their political agendas. We have responded frequently to those repetitive allegations in the relevant forums. Despite the continuous misinformation and disinformation spread by the United States and the Israeli regime against my country, Iran has remained steadfast in advocating for the noble goals of international peace and security, development and human rights. In fact, given their own aggressive policies and actions, the United States and Israel have no moral or legal grounds on which to make those irresponsible statements against my country. Indeed, the statement that we just heard from the Israeli regime is in line with its long history of opportunistic policies. The Israeli regime tries to mislead others and divert attention from its inhumane and savage actions against innocent Palestinians and other nations of the region. My Government is very grateful for the support that we have already received from the Asia-Pacific States, and we also look forward to receiving the support of the broader United Nations membership for the candidatures I mentioned.

The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of agenda item 6. I wish to remind members that, as announced in The Journal of the United Nations, consecutive meetings of the First Committee, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) and the Second, Third, Fifth and Sixth Committees for the purpose of electing their Chairs and Bureaux for the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly will take place immediately following the adjournment of this meeting. After the election of the Chairpersons of the six Main Committees, the General Committee of the General Assembly for the seventy-eighth session will then be fully constituted, in accordance with rule 38 of the rules of procedure.