President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Ambassador Dennis Francis, Friday warned that widening inequalities are breeding fresh grievances, while mistrust and geopolitical competition are hampering efforts to realize the aspirations of achieving sustainable development by 2030.
Addressing the opening of the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Trinidad and Tobago diplomat said the theme for this year’s event, “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence,” recalls the Movement’s founding principles: cooperation and collaboration.
“Our world is beset with profound, multifaceted challenges, which demand creativity and consensus-building to fashion effective solutions. Unhappily, it is precisely in the opposite direction that we are headed.”
He said in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa, crises and conflicts are laying bare the limits of the multilateral system, raising legitimate questions as to the relevance and value of the United Nations itself in terms of its ability to resolve global issues “and whether we, as a global community, can deliver on the promise of peace and prosperity for all.
“There is no doubt that the world is deeply fragmented, complicating the mission and undermining the traditional mechanisms adopted by the UN in addressing major problems.
“And while we must, out of necessity, engage in introspection and adopt more effective strategies and methods to achieve delivery and meaningful impact, the one thing we must work hard to avoid is the loss of our ability to find common purpose and to act decisively when the moment demands it.”
Francis told the ceremony that he is “deeply concerned and indeed dismayed about the ongoing calamity in the Gaza Strip” and called upon the NAM” to exert its influence in bringing a halt to the carnage that we are all haplessly witnessing.
“That situation behooves us to ask: We must ask: how much is enough? And does the very concept of enough even exist in this setting? Looking to the region’s future, I reiterate my urgent call on all parties to refrain from any action that could further spill over into neighboring countries.”
The Trinidad and Tobago Permanent Representative to the United Nations said that the General Assembly, encompassing the voice of most member states, has been straightforward.
“In that regard, I renew the demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all hostages. This is the only credible course of action to address, let alone resolve, this conflict authentically.”
Francis said that the wanton prosecution of violence only inspires inter-generational and cyclical appetite for retribution and reprisal.
“After various iterations of war over several decades, I am convinced that a negotiated political solution is the sole path through which both Israelis and Palestinians will realize their fundamental right to a life of peace based on a two-state solution.
“As President of the General Assembly, I will support and encourage any initiatives. You can count on me to remain steadfast in that commitment.”
Francis said that for these reasons, he chose “peace” as his Presidency’s first four priorities, reflecting its foundational importance as a pre-requisite for achieving prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all.
“The history of NAM itself teaches us important lessons that remain valid today, bearing in mind that the Movement was formed at unprecedented global division when the world appeared to be on the brink.
“Given NAM’s commitment to, and advocacy for, peace representing more than half of the global population, it has an indispensable role in guiding our world pragmatically towards a more secure, more just, and more prosperous future for all, where harmony and peace prevail.”
In his address, Ambassador Francis said that as the global community makes complex choices about the kind of world it wishes to forge, “we must never lose sight of the fact that today’s challenges, be it war, poverty, natural disasters, climate change, and sea-level rise, energy crises and food shortages, all have a human face.
“In whatever way we respond, we must ensure that we always assign pride of place to the “human” dimensions and consequences of our actions.”
He said the pursuit of a human-centered vision of international cooperation offers the prospect of refocusing the international community’s attention away from a path of self-destruction towards one of safe, just evolution.
“To that end, let us strengthen the prospect for peace through investing in human security. Let us respect and uphold human rights. And let us keep human welfare and dignity at the center of all we do.
“This is the intent of the Charter in the expression “We the Peoples of the United Nations.” This includes ensuring that the technologies revolutionizing our existence further cement our shared humanity, rather than to subdue and subordinate it.”
Francis recalled a statement by the late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, observed nearly two decades ago, that “no society can long remain prosperous without the rule of law and respect for human rights.”
He told the delegates that, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, as they set about strategizing how best to employ the NAM formulas of cooperation to achieve shared global affluence, he is hopeful that they will keep the late Secretary-General’s precepts in mind.
He said as the UN’s largest group, constituting two-thirds of the membership, NAM’s critical mass empowers it to play an influential role in shifting the balance of the geopolitical landscape from conflict and confrontation to diplomacy, from suspicion and mistrust to trust-building dialogue, and from violence and aggression to tolerance, understanding, and peace.
“I urge NAM to undertake an in-depth assessment of the New Agenda for Peace, given its focus on conflict prevention. Perhaps nowhere is the value of international cooperation of more profound consequence than our pursuit of a sustainable future for all.
“Indeed, our promise to leave no one behind hinges on our ability to build strong and diverse partnerships, share knowledge widely and strategically – and strengthen our joint capacities to reach the most vulnerable.”
Francis said that the Summit of the Future, in September 2024, will offer a historic opportunity to fast-track the achievement of the SDGs and forge a new global consensus to transform our multilateral system to deliver a better impact for people and the planet.
“Ahead of the Summit, in April 2024, I will host the first-ever Sustainability Week in the General Assembly, the flagship initiative of my Presidency, featuring mandated high-level events on transport, tourism, infrastructure, and energy, as well as a signature event on debt sustainability.”
