UNITED NATIONS, CMC – President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Dennis Francis, has called for an end to the war in Ukraine, stepping up activities to deal with climate change and improving efforts to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
At a news conference at the end of the 78th UNGA, the Trinidadian diplomat said 189 leaders addressed the assembly, “an impressive increase indeed over recent years. He said there were also 21 women, or one less than the previous year.
The Assembly President convened the second annual platform of women leaders at the outset of the High-Level Week, which ran from September 19-26. The UN said the focus was on the role of women in achieving the SDGs, “which aim to deliver a more just, equitable and greener world by 2030.”
Francis said, “These leaders showcased why it is so important to recognize and elevate the talents and perspectives of half of humanity in tackling today’s challenges.”
Francis said calls marked the general debate for resolving conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine.
“I was unequivocal when speaking to the membership that we need peace, Ukraine needs peace, and that this war must stop, must end,” Francis said, adding that the call for more decisive climate action also resonated across the General Assembly Hall in his meetings with leaders, and at two high-level meetings on climate mobility and sea level rise.
Meanwhile, the UN said the SDG Summit and resulting political declaration marked the start of a new phase of accelerated progress to achieve the 17 goals by their deadline.
The UN said other high-level meetings focused on Financing for Development and health issues, with leaders approving the first-ever UN political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
It said governments also reaffirmed the right to universal health coverage, set targets to stamp out tuberculosis by the end of the decade, and underlined the need for “serious action” to eliminate nuclear weapons, which Francis called “a moral duty of our time.”
Francis also answered journalists’ questions on other issues of global concern raised during the general debate, such as the reform of the UN Security Council, whose five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – possess the right of veto, allowing them to block any resolution or decision.
The UN noted that, at a Security Council meeting held during the High-Level Week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that the General Assembly should be given the power to override vetoes.
But Francis said the Security Council was designed for a world that no longer exists and that reform is complex.
“We do need to rethink the structure of the Security Council so that it more aptly represents current realities of global politics. That is going to be a process that will continue to engage the house for some time.”
When asked if he was convinced world leaders will take the action required to achieve the SDGs by 2030, the General Assembly President turned the spotlight on the media and their essential role in society.
“These commitments were made in public before you, who influence public opinion,” he said. “How will you react if you detect over time that commitments have not been honored?”
While expressing hope that the pledges will become a reality, he remarked, “At the end of the day, the proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating.”
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