UN General Assembly Elects Dennis Francis President of Seventy-Eighth Session

In thanking Member States as well as his Government, people, staff and family, Mr. Francis said:  “My heart is truly full, even as I remain keenly aware that being called to serve as President of the General Assembly of the United Nations constitutes a weighty responsibility.”  Education -- a great liberator which lifts people up the socioeconomic ladder and strengthens society in the process -- brought him to the United Nations, he pointed out, stressing that his career’s experiences would have never seen the light of day had it not been for his parents and had he not benefited from an enlightened Government policy which democratized education. 

In that vein, when the international community postpones or neglects to offer its support to the millions who lack access to quality education, is it not consigning them to an intergenerational cycle of poverty, degradation and misery, he asked.  To save those children and young people from near certain defeat, the world must afford them, through education, the option of choice and the capacity to self-actualize for their benefit and that of their communities.  This, he insisted, is a compelling argument for an all-out effort to re-energize action to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Conscious of the Office’s sensitivity and weighty duties, he then pledged to discharge those responsibilities with transparency, accountability, vigour and dedication.  He also promised to prioritize meaningful dialogue to ensure the clarity of priorities and the strengthening of common purpose in the interest of coherence. “It is my hope to bring forward, with your help and support, a renewed atmosphere of conciliation, cooperation and shared commitment in addressing the many challenges and seizing every opportunity -- however nascent -- before the General Assembly,” he said, calling for Member States’ fulsome and good faith engagement as they accelerate action towards sustainable development for all.

Congratulating the President-elect, Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi (Hungary) stressed that Mr. Francis’ vision for the seventy-eighth session -- “Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability” -- offers a comprehensive view of the Assembly’s work as it rebuilds trusts, tackles climate change and strives to get the Sustainable Development Goals back on track.  With Mr. Francis’ extensive experience -- including as Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations -- and unique perspective from a small island developing State, the Assembly will be in capable hands during the next session, he said.

However, much work remains to be done in the nearly 100 days left until the transition, he emphasized, underlining that the cascading crises which shepherded the start of his tenure still require solution-oriented approaches.  Crisis management and transformation remain the dual approach guiding the Assembly’s vision and action.  To this end, he pledged to continue promoting science for a “sustainability transformation”, especially in the preparations for the Sustainable Development Goals Summit in September 2023.  He also underscored the urgent need to put the 2023 United Nations Water Conference’s gamechangers into action as an answer the unfolding water crisis.  “We cannot let the momentum stop,” he asserted, adding that he looks forward to working with the President-elect on a successful handover and continued progress.

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