A/78/PV.80 General Assembly

I now give the floor to the representative of Libya to introduce draft resolution A/78/L.56.

It is my honour to stand before the General Assembly today on behalf of the co-facilitators — Bahrain, Libya and Tajikistan — to introduce the initiative and the historic draft resolution A/78/L.56, entitled “World Football Day”, which is joined by a wide cross-regional core group that consists of the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mongolia, Morocco, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. For centuries, sport has proven its ability to facilitate and promote peace around the world and has always played a vital role as an enabler of the Sustainable Development Goals, as recognized in numerous General Assembly resolutions. Football, or soccer as others call it, as the number one game played and followed around the globe, holds an unparalleled position in the world of sport due to its popularity and profound cultural and social impacts. As we all know, football is more than just a game. It is played by people of all ages, on streets and in villages, in schools and in courtyards, for fun and in competitions. Football serves as a universal language that is spoken across the globe, cutting across national, cultural and socioeconomic barriers. This sport embodies a shared passion that unites people, fostering a sense of community and national pride. Football transcends its role as a mere sport and holds immense potential for advancing a more equitable and inclusive world. Its widespread appeal and accessibility make it a potent instrument for promoting health and well-being. It has emerged as a pivotal platform for championing equality between men and women and empowering boys and girls around the world, both on and off the field. More important, football acts as a catalyst for social inclusion, fostering unity and dismantling barriers within diverse communities. It serves as a common ground where individuals from varying backgrounds converge, thereby promoting mutual understanding, tolerance, respect and solidarity. We are only two weeks away from 25 May, the day that the draft resolution would proclaim as World Football Day. This year we mark the 100th anniversary of the first-ever official international football tournament in history played with the full representation of all regions around the world. That date was 25 May 1924, which is why that date was chosen for World Football Day. Therefore, once the draft resolution is adopted, we invite all members of the United Nations, United Nations agencies, international and regional organizations and federations, civil society, the private sector and all football fans around the world to celebrate World Football Day — to play, cheer, educate and use and harness the advantages of that wonderful game. I would like to express my gratitude to all the representatives of Member States who actively participated in the consultation process and provided valuable insights that contributed to the refinement of the draft resolution. I would also like to thank all the delegations that recognized the potential of the draft resolution and have already co-sponsored it. There are already more than 160 co-sponsors, which by itself shows us the universality of the game. We therefore invite all remaining countries to kindly co-sponsor the draft resolution before its adoption. Let us, together and despite all the challenges we face these days, be united. Let us celebrate World Football Day around the world and mobilize the game’s power to bring joy and happiness, bring people together beyond borders and beyond politics and serve humankind, especially in the promotion of peace, equality and fair play around the world.

We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/78/L.56. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I would like to announce that, since the submission of draft resolution A/78/L.56 and in addition to the delegations listed in the document, the following countries have become sponsors of draft resolution A/78/L.56: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Canada, the Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, the Comoros, the Congo, Costa Rica, Czechia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, the Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea- Bissau, Honduras, Iceland, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mali, the Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, the Federated States of Micronesia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nepal, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, the State of Palestine, the Sudan, Sweden, Togo, Tuvalu, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia.

I call on the representative of Israel on a point of order.

Paragraph 5 of the annex to resolution 52/250, of 7 July 1998, entitled “Participation of Palestine in the work of the United Nations”, determined that the Palestinians have the right to co-sponsor draft resolutions and decisions on Palestinian and Middle East issues. The subject matter of draft resolution A/78/L.56 clearly does not fall within the parameters given in the annex to resolution 52/250. I would like to stress the importance we attach to following the rules of procedure of the Organization. The rules of co-sponsorship have been clearly laid out in the rules and regulations governing the Organization. Any decision to circumvent those rules would serve only to undermine this institution.

The General Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/78/L.56, entitled “World Football Day”. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/78/L.56?

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 11.

We shall now proceed to consider draft decision A/78/L.63. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

The present oral statement is made in the context of rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly. It has also been distributed to Member States. Under the terms of the draft decision, the General Assembly would decide that the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries shall be postponed to a later date. With regard to the draft decision, in the absence of the date of the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, it is not possible at the present time to estimate the potential cost implications. When the date and details of the third United Nations Conference are determined, the Secretary-General will assess the budgetary implications and advise the General Assembly, in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedures of the General Assembly. In accordance with established practice, the date of the third United Nations Conference will be determined in consultation with the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management.

The Assembly will now take action on draft decision A/78/L.63, entitled “Postponement of the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries and the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries”. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt draft decision A/78/L.63?

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 20.