Under ‘extraordinary circumstances’, General Assembly continues to serve the people

Speaking at an in-person meeting in the Assembly hall, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande recounted some of the important initiatives the 74th session had conducted throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

“The General Assembly successfully organized socially distanced elections for the General Assembly Presidency, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Furthermore, we employed virtual methods to gather stakeholders from around the world on Charter Day, and once again at the multi-stakeholder hearing on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women”, he detailed.

The virus

Mr. Muhammad-Bande also applauded the World Health Organization (WHO) for “leading the response from the outset”.

“Today’s meeting takes place as many people suffer and bear great losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic”, he said. “The entire UN system has rallied to address the needs of the people we serve”. 

The UN official gave “particular thanks” to humanitarian workers in the field as well as UN Peacekeepers, “who continue to protect communities in the most complex environments around the world”. 

Moreover, he acknowledged the leadership of the Secretary-General and the ECOSOC president .

SDGs: Full speed ahead 

The Assembly president underlined that these efforts are “critical” as we begin the Decade of Action and Delivery to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “or as it is likely to become, the decade of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic”. 

He closed by urging everyone to “galvanize multilateral action now” and fulfill the UN’s financing for development and other commitments. 

“We remain in this together”, Mr. Muhammad-Bande concluded.

Looking forward

At an end-of-session press conference, Muhammad-Bande told journalists that he was working with his successor Volkan Bozkir in the preparation of high-level week as well as upcoming events.

The UN official noted that Mr. Bozkir would be presiding over the opening of the 75th session of the Assembly, which will be convened on 22 September.

Among other things, the Assembly president informed that a Summit on Biodiversity will be convened on 30 September, and on 1 October, a High-level meeting to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

On 2 October, he said that the Membership will gather to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, which he noted, remains integral to the foundation of the UN’s work on peace and security.

Mr. Muhammad-Bande told the journalists that it had been a privilege to serve as the President of the 74th session of the Assembly, expressing his confidence that the targets set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development would be realized if everyone continues to strive together, and deliver for all.