UNITED NATIONS, Sep 06 (APP): The 78th session of the UN General Assembly began on Tuesday, with the new President of the 193-member Assembly, highlighting what he called “a daunting global agenda, beset by a series of cascading challenges” that the world community faces.

In his inaugural address, Dennis Francis called on member states to push for and nurture peace by empowering those most vulnerable; to deliver shared prosperity by unlocking the resources required for transformational results; to accelerate progress by capitalizing on the enablers of youth, innovation, and technology; and to drive sustainability.

Francis, a diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago, acknowledged the complex challenges facing the world, including climate change, conflict, and poverty, which have made peace more elusive, while geopolitical divides have bred scepticism towards multilateral systems.

After the ceremony, Pakistan’s UN Ambassador, Munir Akram, noting the challenges identified by the new president, underscored the need for a plan to counter them.

“The 78th session of the General Assembly is meeting in a complex international environment, marked by conflicts, especially in Europe and Africa, growing great power tensions in Asia, a slowing global economy, 60 developing countries in financial distress, and as yet no clear strategy on how to address these challenges,” Ambassador Akram said in an interview with APP when asked for his comments.

During the opening of the 78th session, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, emphasized that the General Assembly represented “our common humanity” and “our shared commitment” to peace, sustainable development and human rights.

“Despite profound global challenges, this is not a moment for pessimism — This is a moment for action,” the UN chief said.

“Action for peace and human rights; action to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals and tackle the existential threat of climate change; action to create productive jobs and expand economic opportunity, especially for women and young people; action to ensure that rapid evolutions in technology like artificial intelligence are a help, and not harm, to humanity; action to build a world of hope and promise for all that leaves no-one behind.

“More than any room on earth, the General Assembly represents our common humanity and our shared commitment for peace, sustainable development and human rights. Let’s forge the solutions that all people expect and make progress toward a better, and a more peaceful and prosperous future, and a healthier planet,” Guterres added.

In his address, Francis, the Assembly president, also outlined his four key priorities or “watchwords” for the session: peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability.

“As the UN’s chief policy-making body, the General Assembly bears a special responsibility to ensure that our efforts must be anchored in a robust multilateral system, faithful to the cherished values and principles enshrined in UN Charter,” he said.

Against this background, he highlighted the Assembly’s Security Council veto initiative as a step towards transparency and accountability regarding the application of the veto.

Turning to the second watchword, the Assembly President underscored the need for tailored solutions to challenges of in-conflict and post-conflict countries and urged Member States to follow through on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

“In doing so, we must also accelerate the transition to clean energy and boost support for adaptation by making climate finance more available, more accessible, and more affordable,” he continued.

Francis also highlighted the unique circumstances of least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and small island developing States (SIDS), urging renewed efforts to follow through on their specific development agendas.

In this regard, he emphasized the importance of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and the upcoming SDG Summit as a critical opportunity to accelerate progress.

“How the Summit unfolds will set the tone for the rest of the General Assembly agenda this session; and for the 2030 Agenda over the next 7 years,” he said.

He also highlighted the need for global solidarity and cooperation in building resilient health systems in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the need for financing to realize the ambitious development goals (SDGs).

Francis underlined the urgent need to address climate change and biodiversity loss, emphasizing the need for transformative climate action, as well as the critical relationship with water – the common resource fundamental to all life, yet one that remains inadequately conserved and prioritized.

“We need a green ‘blue revolution’ that addresses and indeed brings together concerns around water, climate, biodiversity, and land and soil degradation and global food security,” he said.

“This is the only way to guarantee that the right to a clean and sustainable environment is upheld for all.”