President of the 78th session of UN General Assembly Dennis Francis said on Tuesday that the General Assembly Hall and rostrum, stand as a living testament to multilateralism and to the extraordinary role and compelling influence of the United Nations over the 75 years of its existence.
In his inaugural speech before the 78th session of UN General Assembly, Francis touched on challenges facing the world, including wars, climate change, debts, food and energy crises, as well as famine, pointing out that these crises are directly impacting the lives and well-being of billions of people around the world.
He said that horrendous war has unleashed untold suffering and destroyed countless families, communities, and lives.
"Its cascading impacts have also spooked many developing countries - in far-flung corners of the globe - unleashing acute shortages of essential commodities, triggering food insecurity and volatility in energy prices. It has even revived the unconscionable threat of nuclear warfare", Francis added.
He urged world leaders who gathered in the UN assembly today to listen, learn, and rebuild trust and reignite global solidarity, in addition to finding common ground to address the challenges the world faces.
"Allow me to pause here and reiterate my deepest condolences to the Governments and peoples of Morocco and Libya. The twin disasters of earthquakes and flooding have left thousands dead and untold more suffering. It is my sincere hope that resources and relief can be expedited to support all those who now find themselves in desperate need," he said.
As a citizen of a climate-vulnerable region, Francis urged Member States to recognize the continued and escalating impacts of climate change - and to deliver real, transformative results.
Source: Qatar News Agency