New UNGA President advocates peaceful settlement of ongoing conflicts

The President of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, has said he would "collaborate and coordinate" with the Security Council, and the UN Secretariat to ensure that greater attention is paid to prevention rather than reaction to full blown conflict.

"I will also advocate for effective early detection and warning systems, as well as mediation, negotiation and peaceful settlement of ongoing conflicts," Muhammad-Bande of Nigeria said in his inaugural address as UN General Assembly President on Tuesday. "I will work to engender cooperation that will address drivers of conflicts such as poverty, exclusion and illiteracy."

He stressed that he would "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."

In June, the General Assembly elected Muhammad Bande, Permanent Representative of Nigeria, President of its 74th session. He served as Vice-President of the Assembly's 71st session and was active in several other forums, including as Chair of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, member of the Advisory Board of the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre and Chair of the Economic Community of West African States Group.

 

Highlighting the importance of quality education, Muhammad-Bande said, "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" and highlighted the urgency in devising "means to attend to the educational needs of all".

Describing the climate change as "a key issue in development", Muhammad-Bande said, "we must tackle its causes and repercussions: The recent emergencies in the Bahamas, Mozambique, and the Sahel region, among others, reminds us of the urgency of strengthening global action to tackle climate change."

Focussing on inclusion, he flagged the importance of ensuring the rights and empowerment of youth, women and the disabled, as a continuing priority.

"We must build trust with one another, deepen partnerships and show empathy" as "the only way to resolve the many challenges that confront us," he said. "We will have to strive together, to deliver for all."

In his remarks, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the new President of the UNGA brings to his role "years of United Nations experience," as Muhammad-Bande banged the gavel to open his year in office.

He commended Muhammad-Bande on prioritising peace and security, poverty eradication, zero hunger, quality education, climate action and inclusion, all of which the UN chief called "central to the sustainable development agenda".

Pointing to the "five critical summits" next week on climate action, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), financing for development, universal health care and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Guterres underscored that multi-stakeholder engagement will be essential.

Guterres expressed his concern over the "trust deficit between nations" and stressed the need to convince people that the UN is relevant to all and that multilateralism offers real solutions to global challenges.

"Transparency, dialogue and greater understanding are essential to alleviating mistrust," he spelled out, calling the Assembly "a unique and indispensable forum for the world to come together and discuss sensitive and important issues."

"It is vital that the world has strong and effective multilateral institutions and architecture, and that international relations are based on international law," he added.