By Xinhua | on September 6, 2023 | 08:06
The new President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, declared the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly open today, Tuesday.
In his opening speech, read by UN Under-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Secretary-General António Guterres warned of a world full of great challenges and divisions that is testing the UN.
“Despite profound global challenges, this is not a time for pessimism. It is a time for action,” he said. “Action for peace and human rights; Actions to save the Sustainable Development Goals and address the existential threat of climate change; “Measures to create productive jobs and expand economic opportunities, especially for women and youth,” measures to ensure rapid technological development, such as artificial intelligence, helps rather than harms humanity; Actions to build a world of hope and promise for all that leaves no one behind.”
“More than any other venue on the planet, the General Assembly represents our shared humanity and our shared commitment to peace, sustainable development and human rights. Let us forge the solutions that all people expect and move towards a better, more peaceful and more prosperous future and towards a healthier planet,” said Guterres.
In his opening remarks, the new president said the new session of the General Assembly began “amid an overwhelming global agenda besieged by a series of cascading challenges.”
Francis called on member states to promote and promote peace by empowering the most vulnerable; to create shared prosperity by unlocking the resources needed to achieve transformative results; to accelerate progress by leveraging the enabling elements of youth, innovation and technology; and promote sustainability.
He also called on member states to embrace the true spirit of multilateralism in solving problems “so that we can better protect the security and dignity of humanity.”
Francis, a diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago, was sworn in this morning at the end of the 77th session of the General Assembly.
(Web editor: Zhao Jian, 周雨)