UNITED NATIONS : The landmark 70th session of the UN General Assembly commenced here with its new president assuring that he would continue the work of his predecessor on Security Council reforms, following the adoption of a negotiating text on the long-pending process.
Mogens Lykketoft of Denmark, who succeeded Uganda’s Sam Kutesa, will be the president of this session of the 193-member General Assembly which runs from September 2015 to September 2016.
The milestone session, marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN, will see over 150 heads of state and government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pope Francis, descend on the world body’s headquarters from September 25-27 to adopt the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Speaking after the opening of the session yesterday, Lykketoft vowed to continue the work done by Kutesa in moving the stalled reform process forward.
“I will follow the track laid out by my predecessor and the work done by Jamaican Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, which was rolled over yesterday to the General Assembly session.
“I will not take stake or point out a specific outcome but I will certainly try to help the process that was started in the 69th session to continue on the basis of the work done there,” he said.
Kutesa achieved a breakthrough in the long-pending Security Council reform process when the assembly adopted a negotiating document by consensus on September 14, boosting India’s bid for a permanent seat in the revamped body and setting the stage for talks to start on the basis of the text for the first time in seven years of the inter-governmental process.
On the urgent need for Security Council reform, Lykketoft said “it is obvious that there are many issues that are not handled by the Security Council. We can of course not know if any kind of reform of the composition will make it different”.
“Without predicting the specific outcome, that is not my job to do, but it is certainly many years ago already that the UN decided we should have reforms so the UNSC would reflect much better the realities of the 21st century,” he said.
In addition to several high-level meetings and thematic debates he will hold over the course of his one-year tenure, the new president said he plans to continue efforts to revitalise the General Assembly’s work and to reform the Security Council.
“I will conduct all activities in as transparent, inclusive and open a manner as possible,” Lykketoft said.
When asked for his views on a woman being appointed the next Secretary General of the UN, Lykketoft said there is a “very strong” wish from many members countries that the next UN chief should be a woman.
“I’m not supposed to point out a specific person or gender but I think that’s very very understandable and I would look at it with the utmost sympathy and support if that is the outcome of the membership decision,” he said.
The agenda, which will be adopted during a special summit at UN headquarters, consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets that aim to be a charter for people and the planet in the 21st century.
They will stimulate action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance towards building a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
“The summit, of course, marks only the beginning. There is an urgent need for action right across the three pillars of the UN and ample opportunities to do so during this session.
“An ambitious and universal climate agreement is an absolute must and the first real test of the world community’s ability to deliver the necessary policy tools for sustainable development,” Lykketoft said.
“The UN and its member states have a strong obligation to work together to end the catastrophic wars and conflicts – not least in and around Syria. And we will have to act here and now to address the huge and explosive refugee crises resulting from ongoing conflicts – and to protect the human rights of all refugees,” he said.
“Where it is relevant I will also engage with and involve civil society representatives and others, such that a multi-stakeholder approach becomes a hallmark of my presidency,” he said.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also spoke on the new session of the General Assembly.
“The UN Charter’s principles have stood the test of time, and the United Nations can look back on a record of achievement,” he stated.
“At the same time, we know that suffering remains widespread across the world. My thoughts today are especially with the people of Syria – those inside the country facing terrible violence, and those who have fled, desperately seeking a safe haven and a better life,” Ban said. (agencies)
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