General Assembly General Assembly

 

Mr. President, 

I thank you for convening this important meeting.

At the outset, please allow me to align myself with the statement made by Algeria on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

I congratulate the Permanent Representatives of Croatia and Colombia upon their appointment as co-chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly and wish them further success in this endeavor. The Co-chairs of the previous 71st session deserve our deep appreciation for the excellent work done by them.

Mr. President, 

The effectiveness, relevance and longevity of any institution lies in its dynamic character, its ability to adapt itself to the changing times so that it does not only uphold the timeless values but also addresses the emerging problems and challenges of the day.

The General Assembly is the most representative global body that the collective enterprise and wisdom of mankind has evolved so far.  Its primacy flows from the universality of its membership and the principle of sovereign equality of all its members. It cannot be compared to any other organization or institution, within or outside the UN system, for its sheer representativeness and the moral weight of its decisions and opinions.

However, there is a widespread feeling that the General Assembly has been prevented from living up to its unique role as mandated by Article 10 of the UN Charter. Also, over the years, it has steadily lost touch with its core responsibilities and is increasingly involved only with processes.

Mr. President, 


The role and authority of the General Assembly has been progressively undermined by the expansive role and activism of the Security Council. A part of the blame, we must admit, lies with the General Assembly which has been undermined and encroached upon despite being the collective voice of the mankind.This is counterproductive to the overall effectiveness and relevance of the United Nations. 


Mr. President, 

We firmly believe that the position of the General Assembly as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations, as mandated by the UN Charter, needs to be restored and respected in letter and in spirit. The General Assembly must lead in setting the global agenda and in restoring the centrality of the UN in formulating multilateral approaches to addressing emerging challenges and resolving transnational issues.

The leading role played by the General Assembly at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015 followed by the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the success of the Ocean Conference in 2017 are shining recent examples of how the General Assembly can set the global agenda and show the way in addressing issues and concerns of global nature. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us, the member states, to ensure that the General Assembly remains in the leadership role on issues of transnational importance.

Mr. President, 

The process of revitalization of the General Assembly is an urgent requirement. The process has brought about significant improvements in the last few years to meet the increasingly complex demands of our rapidly-changing world.

Some of the positive outcomes of this process that have been widely acknowledged were evident during the selection of the UN Secretary General in 2016 and the strengthening of the office of the President of the General Assembly.

My delegation engaged actively in the debate that led to the adoption of Resolution A/71/323 by the General Assembly during the 71st Session for improvements in the process and conduct of elections; furthering the cause of multilingualism at the United Nations;and facilitating better cooperation between the member states and the secretariat, among others.

Although it is encouraging that we are making progress, we firmly believe that the we have a long way to go. My delegation will continue making further concrete proposals for further revitalization of the General Assembly and will continue to work actively work for this broader purpose with other delegations.  

Mr. President, 

The revitalization of the General Assembly must also be seen in the wider context of the overall reform of the United Nations. Since its inception in 1945, the United Nations has come a long way. However, its continued relevance and effectiveness in addressing the emerging global challenges will depend largely upon its ability to keep itself abreast with changing times and realities. 

The winds of change are blowing. The issue of UN reform, including the revitalization of the General Assembly and reform of the Security Council, is increasingly assuming greater significance. We must heed the call for UN reform made by many world leaders during the recent High-Level Debate held at the beginning of the 72th session of our Assembly. 

It is our firm believe that the urgent and comprehensive UN reform is imperative to make it reflective of current geopolitical realities and enhance its capability to meet increasingly complex and pressing transnational challenges of our time. 

Mr. President,


Time for change has come. Let us make genuine efforts to strengthen the role of General Assembly in global-agenda setting, policy-making, and finding solutions to global challenges and problems. This will help strengthen the legitimacy of the United nations and the multilateralism itself. 

You can count on my delegation's constructive support and participation in these efforts. 

I thank you, Mr. President.