UN General Assembly Hall. (Archive) Philemon Yang from Cameroon will become the new President of the UN General Assembly UN
On Thursday, elections for the President of the UN General Assembly took place at the UN headquarters in New York. The 79th session of this body, which starts in September, will be chaired by Philemon Yang from Cameroon.
UN Chief Antonio Guterres congratulated the elected candidate and noted that the current President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, “led the work of the Assembly with unsurpassed diplomatic skill.”
“He brought to the attention of this Assembly the needs of small island developing States and much more. He has rallied UN states around a series of issues that underpin the theme of his presidency – “Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability,” said the Secretary-General.
“I also appreciate his leadership in preparing for the Future Summit this September and his tireless fight for gender equality and youth participation. At every turn, he championed solidarity and brought this Assembly together at a troubling moment of division in our history,” he added.
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The UN head noted that the new chairman will lead the General Assembly at a difficult time: “Conflicts continue to rage. The climate emergency is getting worse. Poverty and inequality are widespread throughout the world. Mistrust divides people.”
“In the face of these challenges, we must not lose sight of our goal of building a more peaceful and sustainable world. Like his predecessor, Chairman-elect Yang will play an important role in achieving this goal,” the UN chief said.
Yang has extensive experience as a civil servant and diplomat, as well working with the African Union at the highest level, including as Prime Minister of Cameroon. According to Guterres, Yang is committed to the future of his continent.
“African countries like Cameroon have enormous potential. Realizing this potential requires us to come together in support of African countries – and support of developing countries around the world,” Guterres said.
“In all this work, the Assembly and its chairman can count on my full support,” the UN head concluded.