A/73/ PV.108 General Assembly Official Records Seventy-third session

108th plenary meeting Monday, 16 September 2019, 3 p.m. New York

President: Ms. Espinosa Garcés ...... (Ecuador) The meeting was called to order at 3.15 p.m. with disabilities, promoting the voices of young people to advance peace and security, and revitalizing the work Statement by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The commitment of Ms. Espinosa Garcés to the environment, and especially to ending The President: I now give the floor to His plastic pollution, also stands out. I am confident that Excellency Secretary-General António Guterres. her successful term will pave the way for increasing The Secretary-General: I am pleased to be with participation of women in the political sphere around everyone in this Hall for the closing of the seventy- the world and for accelerating progress towards gender third session of the General Assembly. Here, in this equality within and beyond the United Nations. Many prestigious place, and in the building’s many conference of the issues debated, raised and accomplished during rooms, delegations discuss, daily, humankind’s most the seventy-third session are testament to what can pressing issues. In our fast-changing world, these issues be achieved through international cooperation under are increasingly interlinked. From the climate crisis competent leadership. to migration flows and rising inequality, from waves of intolerance to harnessing technology for good, one The adoption by the General Assembly of two thing is certain: global issues require global solutions. Global Compacts — on migration and refugees — offers The General Assembly is our universal platform to remarkable examples. At the same time, the United build consensus for the common good. Nations continued over the past year to advance its comprehensive reforms at an unprecedented pace and It has been my privilege to work with this body scale. We are doing so to make the Organization more during the seventy-third session, which was led by nimble, effective and efficient — and to better serve Her Excellency María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés of “we the peoples” of the world. Ecuador, the fourth woman to serve as President of the General Assembly. Working through consultation, As we look ahead to the seventy-fifth anniversary collaboration and consensus, with unwavering of the United Nations, I thank Ms. Espinosa Garcés leadership, Ms. Espinosa Garcés has been a champion for her leadership and partnership, and I look forward for multilateralism and making the United Nations to working with the President-elect, His Excellency relevant for all. Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande of Nigeria. Together, let us continue to advance our mission to build a more I commend Ms. Espinosa Garcés’ ambitious peaceful and prosperous world — a world for all on a priorities for this session, which addressed crucial healthy planet. matters of international impact and concern, including gender equality, migration and refugees, decent work The President (spoke in Spanish): I thank the for all, environmental protection, the rights of people Secretary-General for his generous words.

This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506 ([email protected]). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org).

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I will now deliver my closing statement. and Caribbean sisters and brothers should know that the flag of our extensive, vibrant and supportive homeland I stand before the Assembly to make this, my last has been with me every day of my administration, statement as President of the General Assembly, our together with the flag of my country, Ecuador, on parliament of humankind. I do so with the same sense behalf of which I have held the presidency. of responsibility and passion with which I took up my mandate a year ago. I would also like to recall the three women who came before me — of India, Throughout this session, I have learned much Angie Brooks of and Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa from all participants — Permanent Representatives of Bahrain — who, with determination and tenacity, and members of delegations — and I have witnessed their commitment, dedication and professionalism. I paved the way not only for me but for many other have listened to each Member State, to observers, to women in the Organization as well. I thank them for Heads of State and Government. Working with them their inspiration and guidance and I hope that I have and for them has filled me with hope and optimism, paid them back by enlarging the space for those to despite the challenges we face. I am more convinced come, the young women and girls of today. They than ever that multilateralism and the United Nations deserve the same opportunities. For that reason, gender are irreplaceable and that when we work together there equality has been a central theme of my presidency, and is no goal that we cannot achieve. We literally have the I hope that it will be a central focus of our future work. power to transform the world, to do what is best for all We cannot continue to exclude half of the population. people, to make it more inclusive and sustainable. But I The political participation of women, their rights, have also learned from the most vulnerable, from those dignity and economic and social empowerment are who have to face enormous difficulties, from those who indispensable if we are to build a more peaceful, more suffer and lack. sustainable and more humane world and if we are to fulfil the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. On my official visits, I have met refugees, displaced women, victims of violence and war, indigenous The Secretary-General’s genuine commitment to peoples, persons with disabilities, those who are gender equality should be a great inspiration to all men. discriminated against and excluded. I listened to them I also wish to highlight his commitment to modernizing all, very closely. We cannot trivialize their pain or the Organization and invite all Member States and actors disadvantages. We cannot be indifferent. We cannot of the system to support and further the implementation forget for whom we are here, because that would be of the urgent and necessary reforms. I have found in the antithesis of our purpose, of the raison d’être of our the Secretary-General a great ally and a true friend. Organization. Our purpose is to prevent more wars, I say the same about my sisters Amina Mohammed, eliminate misery and work together to overcome the Maria Luiza Viotti and Catherine Pollard. I thank the great challenges facing humankind, such as the climate Secretary-General for his support, his vision and his crisis, inequality and terrorism. leadership. I am especially grateful to the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management. I We have failed more than once. We still live in thank the interpreters for their dedicated and efficient a world in which neither violence nor conflict have work, my security team and each and every one of the been eradicated or hunger or poverty resolved. Human anonymous heroes who keep this house moving. beings have driven hundreds of species to extinction, putting our very existence at risk. We are responsible As a poet, I believe in the transformative power of for the climate crisis and its devastating effects. It is in words. As a woman politician, I know how important our hands to act now in order to reverse it. it is to honour them. Words are creators of reality and translators of dreams. Throughout the session, I have Today, at the end of my term of office, I can affirm sought to fulfil each of my commitments. We can with absolute conviction that the General Assembly is always do more and do better, of course, but I must say the ideal space — perhaps even the only space — to that I feel satisfied with what we have achieved together. reach agreements and move forward on global solutions. Taking stock of the seven priorities of my presidency, I I would like to pay special tribute to the peoples of would like to say that, with the Assembly’s support, we Latin America and the Caribbean. Our Latin American have made important progress.

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First, we have strengthened the participation of (spoke in French) women in the work of the General Assembly, putting These seven points are the promises I made to the them at the forefront of negotiation processes. Fifty- Assembly and to the whole world at the opening of the three per cent of the facilitators I appointed for seventy-third session of the General Assembly. It is negotiations were women. All the panels and events with the Assembly’s support that we have brought the were at gender parity and intergenerational, and my United Nations closer to the people. Over the course Cabinet was 60 per cent women. We were also able to of the session, I have also sought to ensure that young raise awareness about the underrepresentation of women people are involved in the Organization’s debates and in positions of power and about the need to broaden deliberations in the context of an intergenerational their political participation and to ensure that girls and approach to all our activities. It is with great satisfaction young women have access to quality education. that I can say that, in almost all the spaces for dialogue Second, we have progressed on making United and almost all our activities, we have encouraged an Nations Headquarters accessible for persons with exceptional level of participation by young people from all regions of the world. Unfortunately, their presence is disabilities through an action plan containing 13 still considered to be exceptional and not the norm. So recommendations from the steering committee I we still have progress to make in this area, and in that put in place, which are already in different stages regard I count on the Member States and, of course, on of implementation. my brother the President-elect, Mr. Tijjani Muhammad- Third, we have eradicated single-use plastic at Bande, to whom I re-express my congratulations and United Nations Headquarters and have generated local, best wishes. national, regional and global support for a planet-wide (spoke in English) mobilization against plastic pollution. In recalling the general debate in 2018, I remember Fourth, we have managed to secure near universal leader after leader speaking out about multilateralism. adherence to the Global Compact for Migration while Large and small, developed and developing, virtually respecting the different positions of States, and we every Member State acknowledged not just that global adopted an intergovernmental mechanism for its cooperation is the sole answer to the challenges we face, monitoring, follow-up and implementation. but also that we need to strengthen our multilateral Fifth, we have fostered better understanding and system and its beating heart, the United Nations, and awareness of the need to achieve decent work for all, make it more efficient and relevant. Indeed, had an extraterrestrial decided to visit the General Assembly especially for women and young people. We have that week, she might have concluded that support for also broadened the dialogue on creative economies multilateralism was at an all-time high. and moved forward in our thinking about the future of work as part of the centenary of the International Today, there is almost no problem that does not Labour Organization. require global cooperation. In our interconnected world, we no longer have the luxury of saying that what Sixth, we have achieved greater synergies in the happens over there does not concern us. We are global Organization, which have been reflected in the joint citizens whether we like it or not. And we need to act interactive dialogues and coordination reports with the that way. This is not a matter of world view. It is a matter leaders of the main bodies. We have instituted quarterly of fact. This is not about left versus right, nationalism reports to the States on the most important activities of versus globalism. These are false dichotomies. the presidency and their outcomes, thereby increasing transparency, facilitating the work of the permanent At a time when the scale and complexity of missions and improving their programming and follow- challenges threatens to overwhelm Governments, it is up capacity and efficiency. not multilateralism that threatens national sovereignty, but our inability to see its benefits. Multilateralism Seventh, despite a complex and polarized upholds the sovereignty of States, enabling them to international context, we have managed to promote pursue interests and solve problems, while sharing a broad dialogue and a rejuvenated, vibrant narrative costs and risks. It is international law that protects on multilateralism. State power in these turbulent times, when power is

19-28186 3/5 A /73/PV.108 16/09/2019 shifting and States are on the back foot. But precisely today”? And how about the children of our colleagues? when the need for multilateralism has never been more Are we fighting for their future too? In those quiet urgent or obvious, it is being questioned and actively moments, how many of us can draw strength from the undermined with dangerous consequences — for hard- knowledge that we made our time here count, that we won international agreements, and for the Organization, chose principle over protocol, long term over short which is facing funding challenges, but also of politics term, that we did what was right, not what was easy? and principle, and for the world’s citizens who bear the We cannot forget that the hopes, fears and dreams brunt of our inaction, our inability to reach agreement, of 7.7 billion people rest on our shoulders. We must our failure to uphold commitments. summon the passion that first moved us to go into politics, into diplomacy. We must never forget the huge advances we have made over the past seven decades. The world is more We have just over a decade to avoid the worst free, fair and prosperous as a result of our collective impacts of climate change and to achieve our vision of a efforts. But these gains were never distributed equally, safer, fairer and more sustainable world. The decisions and they are slowing, even reversing in many parts we take in the coming months will determine our course. of the world. Millions have been excluded from the We must choose whether this moment is remembered promise of globalization. Their concerns are being as one of crisis or one of opportunity, because the exploited by those seeking to undermine the very greatest challenges we face — the climate emergency, principles that give power to the people, to rail against rapid changes in technology and demography, multilateral institutions, to sow divisions and foment migration — can also be seen as opportunities to hate. As a result, nationalist sentiments, xenophobia change course. But we have to seize them, working on and extremism are on the rise. the ground with more resolve and more partners than ever and working in this building to address the deficits My sincere hope for the seventy-fourth session of the Organization — the deficits of true solidarity is that we will not only hear robust defences of with the poor and vulnerable and in how we engage multilateralism, but see it deliver tangible benefits with the wider world. We must make every opportunity to people’s lives. Implementing the 2030 Agenda and count, from Beijing+25 to the seventy-fifth anniversary Paris Agreement will do more to garner support for of the Organization. multilateralism than any speech. That is why during this session I have put great effort into ensuring that Before I conclude, I want to express again my the design of the upcoming high-level week offers a heartfelt gratitude for the support and friendship I powerful platform for delivery and action. And that have enjoyed over the past year: Member States, the is why next week’s meetings must be treated not as United Nations system, stakeholders and my brilliant, stand-alone events but as a package. Indeed, they are committed, hard-working Cabinet, of whom I am so inextricably linked strands of DNA that make up our proud. I know they will continue to flourish. This session blueprint for the world. And I hope we will see concrete has shown me that by working together we can make action to make the Organization more effective, miracles happen. There have been frustrations — when transparent, inclusive, accountable and relevant to all negotiations have ground to a halt. There has been people, everywhere. grief — at the suffering wreaked by disasters and extremists, and at the death of so many. But there has While I am intensely proud of our achievements also been joy — in stand-out moments, such as our this session, I often worry whether we are up to the task. “Play It Out” concert, to beat plastic pollution and in With so many meetings and debates, it is easy to become the everyday victories that we achieve together, by inured to suffering. It is easy to lose sight of the bigger coming together as an international community. picture, to mistake process for results, to be seduced by Throughout, I have felt the responsibility of being self-importance. I believe that we all agree that we need a woman president. I long for the day when we can to listen more, act more and to communicate better. We stop counting women in leadership positions. I have need to replace acronyms with synonyms. dedicated my presidency — and my life — to reaching How many of us can truly say that everything we this goal, and I will continue to fight for the dreams do is in the interests of our people and our planet? How and talents of every girl to be realized. And I have felt often can we say to our children, “I made you proud a responsibility to bring the voices of all into this Hall.

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I have strived to make the United Nations relevant for The President (spoke in Spanish): In accordance all. In keeping with that, I will give my last word to with General Assembly resolution 70/305, of Amineh Abou Kerech, a young refugee and poet who 13 September 2016, I now invite His Excellency Tijjani has captured the essence of our mission: Muhammad-Bande, President-elect of the seventy- “I’m trying to design a country fourth session, to take the oath of office. that will go with my poetry Mr. Muhammad-Bande: I solemnly declare that and not get in the way when I’m thinking, I shall truthfully perform my duties and exercise the where soldiers don’t walk over my face. functions entrusted to me as President of the General I’m trying to design a country Assembly of the United Nations in all loyalty, discretion which will be worthy of me if I’m ever a poet and conscience, and that I shall discharge these and make allowances if I burst into tears. functions and regulate my conduct with the interest I’m trying to design a City of Love, Peace, Concord and Virtue, of the United Nations only in view and in accordance free of mess, war, wreckage and misery.” with the Charter of the United Nations and the code of ethics for the President of the General Assembly, Let us work together to design a world that befits without seeking or accepting any instruction in regard the poetry of our founding document, the United to the performance of my duties from any Government Nations Charter, and the promise of its opening words: or other source external to the Organization. “we the peoples”. The members of the General Assembly expressed Closure of the seventy-third session their thanks to President Espinosa Garcés by acclamation. The President (spoke in Spanish): I would now like to invite the President-elect of the seventy-fourth The President: (spoke in Spanish): As we are now session to meet me at the side of the rostrum for the coming to the end of the seventy-third session of the handing over of the gavel. General Assembly, I now invite representatives to stand and observe one minute of silent prayer or meditation. I declare closed the seventy-third session of the General Assembly. The members of the General Assembly observed a minute of silent prayer or meditation. The meeting rose at 3.45 p.m.

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