Muhammad-Bande gives maiden address as 74th UNGA president – TheNigerialawyer

Statement by President of the 74th Session of the United Nations
General Assembly, H.E. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande at the Opening of the
74th Session of the General Assembly, 17 September 2019
Secretary-General
Excellencies
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am honored to address you today as President of the 74th
Session of the United Nations General Assembly. I am grateful to
all Member States, for the confidence reposed in me, and I assure
you of my commitment to upholding the ethics of the Office of the
President of the General Assembly and the principles enshrined in
the UN Charter.

2. I thank former President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, for
her excellent stewardship and tireless efforts in guiding our work
during the 73rd session. I am also grateful to the
Secretary-General for his leadership and commitment to the United
Nations and its ideals.

3. In preparing to take office I had interacted with you all and
I am grateful for the inputs you made to better frame and deepen
our Vision Statement; which is owned by us all. It is now time for
the implementation of our plans, and I will count on you for
continued support.

4. Our Vision Statement focused on the implementation of the
SDGs, particularly poverty eradication, zero hunger, quality
education, climate action and inclusion. Accordingly, I will with
your kind support and guidance pay close attention to the effective
implementation of inherited mandates and the following priorities
which I enunciated in my vision statement and at the Dialogue with
Member States prior to my election:

i.Promotion of peace and security, particularly, conflict
prevention. I will collaborate and coordinate with the Security
Council, and the Secretariat to ensure that greater attention is
paid to prevention rather than reaction to full blown conflict(s).
I will also advocate for effective early detection and warning
systems, as well as mediation, negotiation and peaceful settlement
of ongoing conflicts. I will work to engender cooperation that will
address drivers of conflicts such as poverty, exclusion and
illiteracy.

ii.Increased partnerships for the implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly, poverty
eradication, zero hunger and quality education. During this session
I urge all member states to share their experiences on poverty
eradication, especially, on how improved social protection systems
can benefit vulnerable people, who are most affected by poverty. I
request you all to focus on how best to strengthen the UN system to
ensure that the most vulnerable escape the debilitating web of
poverty and hunger, through sharing of knowledge on sustainable
food production systems, resilient agricultural practices,
availability of productive and affordable agricultural machinery
and expansion of entrepreneurial capacity.

iii. Quality education is important and the fact that no nation
can develop past its educational capacity, particularly that of its
teachers, means we must work to ensure that Member States can
partner on teacher training, access to free and quality primary and
secondary education, among others. In some communities the need is
construction of schools, while in many others, it is safety of
students. We must device means to attend to the educational needs
of all.

iv. Climate Change remains a key issue in development and we
must tackle its causes and the repercussions. The recent
emergencies in the Bahamas, Mozambique, and the Sahel region, among
others, reminds us of the urgency of strengthening global we must
find a way to strengthening global action to tackle climate
change.

v. Accentuating inclusion, particularly starting from our
Organization is also important. We must continue to ensure that the
rights and empowerment of youths, women and the disabled around the
world is prioritized.

5. Without doubt, we need to forge partnerships to accelerate
the implementation of the SDGs and diligently work to find
innovative ways of improving financing the Goals.

6. Excellencies, in one week, our Heads of State and Government
will gather in this great Hall for the General Debate. In parallel,
they will also devote attention to the Climate Action Summit,
High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, Sustainable
Development Goals Summit, the commemoration of the Convention on
the Rights of the Child, the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for
Development, the International Day of the total Elimination of
Nuclear Weapons and the Mid-Term review of the SAMOA Pathway.

During that week, they will deliberate on issues that are key to
improving the lives of billions of people around the world and
pronounce policies to accentuate development. The outcomes of the
deliberations during the High-Level week will guide our work during
the rest of the session.

We must never forget that the world looks up to the United
Nations as a veritable vehicle for attaining peace and security,
sustainable development and universal human rights.

7. As the most representative deliberative body of the United
Nations, the General Assembly needs to redouble its efforts to
bridge gaps and act for the common good of the people we serve,
particularly as we prepare for the celebration of the Seventy Fifth
anniversary of the Organization, and in line with the far-sighted
vision of its founders. We must build trust with one another,
deepen partnerships and show empathy. This is the only way to
resolve the many challenges that confront us. We will have to
strive together, to deliver for all.

8. In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that the Office of the
President of the General Assembly for its 74th Session will work
closely with the President of the Security Council, President of
ECOSOC and the Secretary-General, to better ensure success in
achieving our shared goals.

Though I am cognizant of the competing demands that will burden
you during this period and beyond, I will continue to knock on your
doors and count on your support to make the 74th session of the
General Assembly a productive – even pleasant – one. This was what
each, and every delegation had assured me they will do. I am thus
most assured that we will achieve much during the session.

I THANK YOU.

(NAN)

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