Dennis France calls to fight for the development, peace and prosperity of our world
Closing Remarks at the 78th Session of the UNGA by Dennis Francis, President of the United Nations General Assembly. teleSUR
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00:00 Assembly, Dennis Francis.
00:02 Ladies and gentlemen, one week ago I stood before you, your heads of state and government,
00:11 your ministers and representatives, and I spoke of the need to unite the nations.
00:19 I made a call to action for all states to find within themselves the will to act together
00:29 in solidarity.
00:32 I am encouraged by the progress I have seen over this past week.
00:39 One hundred and thirty-six heads of state and government, as well as forty ministers,
00:45 spoke at this rostrum, a record in recent times.
00:52 Thousands of voices of civil society and public and private stakeholders were heard at headquarters.
01:03 There were only twenty women leaders who spoke during the general debate, down from twenty-three
01:11 last year.
01:14 During high-level week, I had the privilege of reconvening the platform of women leaders,
01:21 following in the footsteps of my predecessors.
01:25 I spoke to many leaders of the need to recognize that women's voices, aspirations, and rights
01:35 matter at every level, from the grassroots to the global stage.
01:43 And it begins with investing in education, particularly for girls.
01:51 Let us be resolute in our commitment to inclusivity and to ensure that no woman, no man, indeed
02:03 no one, is ever left behind.
02:08 Excellencies, the General Assembly held seven high-level meetings, and we delivered no less
02:17 than four major political declarations covering universal health care, work to end tuberculosis,
02:27 pandemic prevention and preparedness and response, and the need to urgently and ambitiously scale
02:35 up sustainable development progress.
02:40 The last mentioned declaration, a result of the SDG Summit, is a particularly remarkable
02:49 win.
02:51 It is recognition of the promise we made in 2015 to drive sustainable development, as
03:03 well as a commitment to push harder and close the gaps.
03:10 This speaks to the continued relevance of the General Assembly and the commitment by
03:17 the United Nations to deliver peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability to the peoples
03:28 of our world.
03:31 These developments are a welcome reminder that the United Nations remains focused on
03:37 the collective challenges of our time.
03:42 But declarations in and of themselves are not enough.
03:50 We need to maintain this momentum and to build on it with concrete, tangible actions.
04:01 On this point, I commend the Member States for their active involvement in the high-level
04:07 dialogue on financing for development, as well as discussions around the urgent need
04:15 for reform of the international financial architecture.
04:20 We cannot rest until there is accessibility, equity, and justice in development finance.
04:32 This is the key to accelerating progress on the SDGs.
04:38 Excellencies, of the topics raised during the high-level week, few were as frequent,
04:46 consistent, or as charged as that of the Ukraine war.
04:52 The international community is clear that political independence, sovereignty, and territorial
05:00 integrity must be respected, and violence must end.
05:07 These are calls grounded in the UN Charter.
05:11 That this war is being perpetrated by a permanent member of the Security Council is unconscionable.
05:21 That it has rekindled decades-old fear of the use of nuclear weapons is unthinkable.
05:29 And as discussed today, we must redouble efforts to entirely and absolutely end nuclear proliferation
05:41 and promote the full and total denuclearization.
05:47 Calls to also give undivided attention to other raging conflicts across the globe, from
05:55 Africa to the Middle East, as well as the deteriorating situation in Haiti, were also
06:03 echoed loud and clear.
06:07 As President of the General Assembly, representing the best interests of all member states of
06:14 the United Nations, I recommit to do my part to shine a spotlight on the urgent need to
06:23 resolve these situations of deep concern.
06:29 In that regard, as President of the General Assembly, I will make myself available if
06:37 any nation or leader desires my assistance in facilitating a peace and friendship dialogue
06:48 between any nations or groups in conflict.
06:53 Be assured that I am at your service.
06:59 Excellencies, one call resonated across the General Assembly all this week.
07:06 Our planet is under siege, with the intensifying effects of climate change becoming increasingly
07:14 evident.
07:17 We see this in the extreme weather events, rising sea levels, pollution and biodiversity
07:26 loss that are becoming more prevalent and more destructive by the day.
07:34 Embracing climate actions means safeguarding the Earth's natural resources, preserving
07:41 biodiversity and ensuring equitable access to clean air and water for all.
07:50 It means looking closely at our own carbon footprints.
07:56 It means assisting vulnerable communities in building resilience.
08:02 It means moving beyond GDP to a metric that captures a country's true vulnerability
08:09 to shocks.
08:12 Tackling these questions is a moral imperative, a scientific imperative and a social imperative.
08:23 I urge the Member States to approach the COP28 Climate Conference in a spirit of unity and
08:32 solidarity and deliver a transformative, bold plan of action.
08:40 And I welcome the recent summit of the Pacific Island Leaders with President Biden, which
08:47 builds on recent high-level events I co-hosted on climate mobility and sea level rise.
08:56 The United Nations must, as a matter of principle and of responsibility, safeguard the inalienability
09:06 of the affected countries' sovereignty and statehood amidst the climate crisis.
09:14 This challenge cannot rest solely on the shoulders of frontline communities.
09:21 Excellencies, whether on climate or on conflict, poverty or justice or peace or strong institutions,
09:39 these are not just global calls.
09:42 They are existential calls, calls measured in lives lost, homes destroyed, rights violated,
09:53 inequalities persisted, and accesses denied.
10:00 All these challenges demand that we reach further, that we engage fully in preparations
10:08 for the summit of the future and define the future of international cooperation amid multidimensional
10:17 risks, that we focus our energies towards creating a world that grows sustainably for
10:27 the people and planet, and that gives every child an equal chance at success.
10:36 We hear so often that the clock is ticking.
10:40 We have it within us today to heal our divisions, find integrated solutions that reflect our
10:49 universal values and commitments, and usher in a brighter tomorrow.
10:57 I am confident that we can, together, as one United Nations, as we come to the end of this
11:05 high-level week and the general debate, let us reach out further.
11:14 I thank you.
11:15 (Applause.)
11:15 (END)
11:16 This is an uncorrected transcript.
11:17 I am sorry.
11:18 I have not been able to find the transcript.
11:19 I am sorry.
11:20 I have not been able to find the transcript.
11:21 I am sorry.