A/78/PV.1 General Assembly

It is my pleasure and honour to declare open the seventy-eighth regular session of the General Assembly and call to order its first plenary meeting. Item 2 of the provisional agenda Minute of silent prayer or meditation

In accordance with rule 62 of the rules of procedure, I invite representatives to stand and observe one minute of silent prayer or meditation.

I am honoured to address members of the General Assembly today for the first time as the President of the General Assembly. It is with immense gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility that I take up this charge. I am committed to carrying out the functions of this Office with transparency, accountability and dedication, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. As we launch this new session, I should like to thank my predecessor, President Csaba Kőrösi, for his steadfast and insightful leadership over the past year. It is my intention to build on his accomplishments and those of others before him. Let me also express my deep thanks to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, first for entrusting me with the privilege of representing the diverse and dynamic people of our country at the United Nations, and secondly, for reposing in me its confidence to acquit the Office of the President with dignity, independence and fairness. My presidency will reflect the values of tolerance, inclusion, cooperation and unwavering respect for human dignity that Trinidad and Tobago has proudly upheld and defended for more than 61 years of membership in the United Nations. I also take this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution that Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed continues to make, especially in championing the development agenda, which unarguably constitutes the centrepiece of our work. Through her, I also applaud the Secretary-General for his relentless leadership and advocacy to achieve a United Nations that is fit for purpose, as exemplified by his recent launch of the report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982). We begin the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly amid a daunting global agenda, beset by a series of cascading challenges. I have set out four priorities  — four watchwords  — to ensure that the seventy-eighth session meaningfully addresses those challenges  — peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability. Let me begin with the first  — peace. The intertwined challenges of climate, conflict and poverty continue to make peace more elusive. Sharp geopolitical divides have brought us to a dangerous new era of nuclear uncertainty. They have bred scepticism about our multilateral system. And they have forced many countries to navigate a narrow strategic space to drive change for their societies. That is especially true for small island developing States, middle-income nations and countries in the global South struggling to meet their unique needs amid evolving risks. As the United Nations chief policymaking body, the General Assembly bears a special responsibility to ensure that our efforts must be anchored in a robust multilateral system, faithful to the cherished values and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations  — our Charter. It is a system that draws its strength and legitimacy from greater inclusion and meaningful opportunities for enhanced engagement to shape decisions. With open questions about whether the Security Council can fulfil its mandate, the General Assembly’s veto initiative is a welcome innovation. It marks an important step towards greater transparency and accountability regarding the application of the veto — one that must be interpreted within the ambit of system-wide United Nations reform. That brings me on to my second priority for the session — prosperity. We know that the world’s poorest bear the steepest costs of violence and that long- term investments are needed to leave no one behind. To that end, we must find tailored solutions to the specific challenges of countries in conflict and post- conflict situations. The General Assembly must lend its weight to enhancing financing, technology, debt sustainability and capacity-building in places where development is in deficit and where assistance is most needed. In that regard, I urge Member States to follow through on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and to take advantage of other key opportunities to scale up investment and expand financing for development. In doing so, we must also accelerate the transition to clean energy and boost support for adaptation by making climate financing more available, more accessible and more affordable. In May, Antigua and Barbuda will host the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States — under the theme “Charting the course towards resilient prosperity” — in an effort to agree the successor to the Samoa Pathway, much of which remains, even now, eight years later, unimplemented. And in June, the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries will be held in Rwanda. Along with the full implementation of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, those events will help us ignite transformation across critical workstreams. Throughout the seventy-eighth session, I have committed to prioritizing the needs of countries in special situations, in particular the least developed countries. I will continue to champion efforts to enable a representative and enabling international financial architecture. We can no longer tolerate unjust financial systems that keep countries trapped in vicious cycles of debt and deprivation. The Secretary-General’s ambitious and forward-looking proposals for reforming our systems, moving beyond gross domestic product and developing a global digital compact, will require clear-eyed decisions by the General Assembly. That brings me to my third priority — progress. We have a full toolkit containing all the elements we need to bolster massive progress on our development goals. But we have yet to employ those tools to their fullest potential. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit will be a critical opportunity to correct that and to breathe new life into the entire SDG process. How the Summit unfolds will set the tone for the rest of the General Assembly agenda at this session and for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development over the next seven years. The importance of the Summit becomes all the more pronounced when it is recalled that we have several equally momentous events happening in parallel. We will have the opportunity to come together on the three major health processes that have been ongoing  — the fight against tuberculosis, pandemic prevention and preparedness and response and universal health coverage. The coronavirus disease pandemic has taught us that global solidarity and international cooperation remain imperative if collectively we are to build resilient health systems and improve the global health architecture. Meanwhile, the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development will be an occasion to make concrete financial commitments towards our goals. Finally, the ministerial-level meeting on the Summit for the Future will be the opportunity for delegations to make a robust push towards delivering life-changing action by 2030. All the pieces are in play for us to deliver transformational, accelerated progress. We should neither dither nor delay, as to do so would be at our own peril. As things stand, 680 million people — 8 per cent of the global population — will still be facing hunger in 2030. Without a quantum leap in our commitments, without a radical transformation of our action, we risk sorely missing the mark on the promises we made to leave no one behind. There are specific objectives that demand an immediate and essential reinforcement of our efforts, including by accelerating the implementation of our sustainable development agenda. That is particularly important for already disadvantaged and marginalized groups. Women and girls are systematically denied their most basic human rights, from education and employment to equal pay and land ownership. It is time to confront the epidemic of violence against women — a virulent hatred whose shadow is cast over many communities. It is imperative that the multilateral system and its institutions be built for the advancement and success of women and men — not “either or”, or “one or the other”. And that means closing the gender gaps that have festered for far too long, to the detriment of far too many and to society itself. I therefore plan to continue working with the Advisory Board on Gender of the President of the General Assembly, and my Special Envoy will have the dual role of also serving as Special Adviser for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. As a gender champion myself, I pledge to promote high-level engagement and widespread awareness at gender-related events. As such, I will host another annual meeting of women leaders on the sidelines of the general debate. Ethnic, racial, sexual and religious minorities, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and others are all vulnerable to intersectional forms of discrimination. The General Assembly must redouble its efforts to tackle the insidious spread of human rights violations and extremism in all their declinations, from hate speech to institutionalized discrimination. We must firmly repudiate any ideology that seeks to sow fear and division. We must, instead, lead the conversation on equality, equal rights and non-discrimination as legitimate and imperative social norms that undergird strong, cohesive and productive societies. We set the standard, and this must start by including those whose voices are too often unheard by actively engaging young people, women and marginalized groups, whose inclusion will inevitably foster long- term peace, societal progress and sustainability. In the tradition of my predecessors, I intend to continue and expand the President of the General Assembly Fellowship Programme. That brings me to my final watchword — sustainability. We have heard time and time again the alarm regarding pollution, biodiversity loss, the over-exploitation of finite resources and climate change. But have we truly taken heed? It is critical that we build sustainable societies that are in harmony with each other and with nature. It is the only way to ensure humankind’s and the planet’s survival. The twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will see the conclusion of the global stocktake of the Paris Agreement, underscoring key gaps in its implementation. That will be a critical moment for the world to come together and align behind faster, more equitable and truly transformative climate action. The General Assembly’s historic recognition of the newest human right — the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment  — reinforces its key role in protecting our global commons. With the population set to reach 9.5 billion by 2050, it is imperative that we transition to a mode of producing, consuming and living that is respectful of, and in equilibrium with, all people, species and ecosystems. Nowhere is that more evident than in our relationship with water. That shared resource is fundamental to life on the planet. Yet it remains inadequately conserved or prioritized. We need a green-blue revolution that addresses and brings together concerns about water, climate, biodiversity, land and soil degradation and global food security. That is the only way to guarantee that the right to a clean and sustainable environment is upheld for all. I am confident that we can reach that ideal. The future we want requires a pre-emptive nurturing of nature; that we work proactively and purposively, not just responsively; and that we embrace bold, progressive and visionary action that prioritizes long- term strategies to promote sustainable development for future generations, ensuring both their well-being and quality of life. It is easy to fill up an agenda for high-level week with many meetings and discussions. It is an entirely different thing to ensure that each of the gatherings culminates in meaningful and transformative outcomes. That must be our modus operandi for the period ahead and for the entirety of the session. We must not let any moment or any opportunity escape us. Let us push for and nurture peace, among other things, by empowering the most vulnerable. Let us deliver shared prosperity by unlocking the resources required for transformational results. Let us accelerate progress by capitalizing on the enablers of youth, innovation and technology. And let us drive sustainability by recommitting to the principles and processes that help guide our way. During this session, I will commit to engaging regional and other groups to collectively collaborate to bring to life a renewed atmosphere of global cooperation and shared commitments. My ambition is for the General Assembly to address the array of challenges it faces in the most effective and inclusive way possible. I thank members once again for their confidence, words of encouragement and support. I look forward with great anticipation to working collaboratively with all my colleagues and their delegations in addressing the several issues before us, in the interests of all the people. I therefore call on everyone to approach our work with a true spirit of multilateralism for problem- solving so that we can better safeguard, if not guarantee, the security and dignity humankind. In accordance with rule 70 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, I now give the floor to the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Her Excellency Ms. Amina Mohammed.

I congratulate Your Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago on your election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. We face a world of deep challenge and division that is testing the United Nations. The skills, experience, knowledge and wisdom that you bring, Sir, will be essential as we continue seeking avenues for multilateral cooperation. We look forward to working with you to carry forward the theme of your presidency — “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and the sustainability for all” — in the year ahead. I would once again like to thank the outgoing President, His Excellency Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, for his sterling leadership of the Assembly over the past year. Despite profound global challenges, this is not a moment for pessimism. This is a moment for action: action for peace and for human rights; action to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals and tackle the existential threat of climate change; action to create productive jobs and expand economic opportunity, especially for women and young people; action to ensure that rapid evolutions in technology like artificial intelligence are a help, not a harm, to humankind; and action to build a world of hope and of promise for all that leaves no one behind. As we begin the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly, let us draw strength from the mission and the values of the Charter of the United Nations. More than any room on Earth, the General Assembly represents our common humanity and our shared commitment to peace, sustainable development and human rights. Let us forge the solutions that all people expect and make progress towards a better and a more peaceful and prosperous future and a healthier planet. You can count on our full support, Mr. President, as you carry out that important work in the coming year.

I thank the Deputy Secretary- General for her statement.

In keeping with established practice, I should like to invite the attention of the General Assembly to document A/78/336, which contains the text of a letter from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly, in which he informs the Assembly of Member States in arrears in the payment of their financial contributions to the United Nations within the terms of Article 19 of the Charter. I would like to remind delegations that, under Article 19 of the Charter, “A Member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years. The General Assembly may, nevertheless, permit such a Member to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the Member.” May I take it that the General Assembly takes note of the information contained in document A/78/336? Item 3 of the provisional agenda Credentials of representatives to the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly (a) Appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee

Rule 28 of the rules of procedure provides that the General Assembly at the beginning of each session shall appoint, on the proposal of the President, a Credentials Committee consisting of nine members. Accordingly, it is proposed that, for the seventy- eighth session, the Credentials Committee should consist of the following Member States: Andorra, China, Grenada, Nigeria, the Russian Federation, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Togo and the United States of America. May I take it that the States that I have just mentioned are hereby appointed members of the Credentials Committee?

Delegations are reminded that credentials should be submitted to the Office of Legal Affairs. Additional details are available in the informational note contained in document A/INF/78/4. Before concluding, I would like to inform delegations that the General Committee will meet tomorrow morning, Wednesday, 6 September 2023, at 10 a.m. in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, to consider the memorandum of the Secretary-General on the organization of the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly, the adoption of the agenda and the allocation of items, as contained in document A/BUR/78/1.