UNITED NATIONS, CMC – The Trinidadian-born President of the United Nations General Assembly, Dennis Francis, has laid out his priorities for the rest of his term, as the 193 member states grouping finds itself increasingly in the public spotlight over the Gaza crisis and inaction on the divided Security Council.
Emphasizing a commitment to addressing pressing challenges, Francis, the first Trinidad and Tobago diplomat elected to the position, signaled a determined push for transformative change.
“We must set our sights squarely on the Summit of the Future – the pivotal event of 2024 – where world leaders are expected to gather here in New York and forge a new global consensus on how to better deliver for people and planet,” he said.
With a focus on “supercharging” the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation, Francis said preparations for the summit will take center stage from now until September.
“We must seize every opportunity to adapt our systems for good governance and the efficient delivery of global public goods,” he said.
The president’s term spans the sessions of the General Assembly. For Francis, president of the 78th session of the Assembly, the UN said his term started on September 5 last year and will end on September 10, 2024.
In his address, Francis underscored the importance of peace as the “ultimate goal of our collective efforts” and the “bedrock upon which everything we do will rest.”
“It is, therefore, crucial that we […] demonstrate both our political will and our ability to make this world a more peaceful and secure,” he said.
Noting the apparent Security Council deadlock over the situation in Gaza, the General Assembly president recalled the resolution adopted at the resumed tenth Emergency Special Session, which demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and unhindered access to humanitarian aid.
He reiterated his call for the immediate implementation of the Assembly’s decisions and resolutions, for “meaningful progress on the ground” and saving innocent lives.
“Surely, a military solution is impossible in the Middle East conflict,” Francis added.
He also highlighted the veto Initiative, emphasizing the importance of fostering accountability and cooperation between the UN’s principal organs to achieve system-wide coherence.
Under the landmark initiative, the UN said the president is authorized to convene a formal meeting of the 193-member organ within ten working days of the casting of a veto by one or more permanent members of the Security Council and hold a debate on the situation as to which the veto was cast.
Francis also announced a series of significant events in the upcoming months, including the inaugural Sustainability Week (April), the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (Antigua and Barbuda, April), and the third Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (Rwanda, June).
Also on the calendar is a high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance, a commemorative event marking the 30th anniversary of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development.
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