Dennis Francis handed over the General Assembly gavel to Filemon Jahn. The 79th session of the UN General Assembly opened in New York UN
The 79th session of the UN General Assembly opened on Tuesday. Since its inception, the UN has been a place for multilateral decision-making based on cooperation, dialogue, diplomacy and the Charter of the Organization, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the opening ceremony. He called on the international community to unite to jointly overcome the multiple crises that humanity faces today.
“We have a world full of problems. But the good news is that we can do something about them,” the UN chief said.
“This is where decisions are made. And we need decisions on all fronts,” Guterres added, emphasizing the need to find solutions in areas such as security, economic development, climate, and new technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The Secretary-General congratulated the President of the 79th session of the General Assembly, Philemon Yan of Cameroon, on taking office. Yan has extensive experience as a diplomat and politician, including as Prime Minister of Cameroon.
Guterres thanked the President of the 78th session of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, for his work. The UN chief recalled that the outgoing year was a year of ongoing conflicts and violence, and, moreover, the hottest year in the history of meteorological observations. Despite numerous crises and challenges, the General Assembly, according to the UN chief, has managed to show a “spirit of solidarity” on some issues.
“Using the ever-relevant tools of diplomacy, dialogue and debate, the General Assembly worked during its 78th session to bring solutions and hope to people and the planet,” the UN Secretary-General said.
“At every step, we could count on the outgoing President… Dennis Francis,” he added.
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Guterres, in particular, noted that Francis convened the High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention last September and also made a significant contribution to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals Summit.
At his final press conference as President of the General Assembly on Monday, Dennis Francis recalled that the 78th session also featured the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development and the first-ever Sustainable Development Week, which included events on tourism, transport, infrastructure and energy.
Francis stressed that, in light of the escalating violence in the Middle East, the General Assembly resumed its 10th emergency session on this issue, adopting three important resolutions: on the protection of civilians and respect for legal and humanitarian obligations; an immediate ceasefire, respect for international law, the unconditional release of all hostages and humanitarian access; and the right of the State of Palestine to membership in the United Nations.
“These demands of the Assembly represent the will of the international community, as I have said many times before, and I repeat these demands here and now. It is time for the violence in Gaza to stop,” Francis said.
He also added that he was proud of the work done in the area of gender equality and the involvement of young people in important decision-making on the international stage.