Sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly To convene on United Nations 18 September 2012 Biographical President of the sixty-seventh session note of the United Nations General Assembly H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremić Vuk Jeremić was elected President of the sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly on 8 June 2012. At the time of his election, he was serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Repubic of Serbia, an office he held starting on 15 May 2007. Throughout his five years as Foreign Minister, Mr. Jeremić was actively engaged in the work of the United Nations, representing his country at key sessions of the General Assembly and the Security Council. He led the Serbian delegation at high-level segments of the United Nations Human Rights Council (2008, 2010 and 2011), at the annual General Conference of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and at high-level meetings of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Mr. Jeremić also represented Serbia at the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (Istanbul, 2011), the United Nations High- Level Meeting on Nuclear Security (New York, 2011) and the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (New York, 2010). Elsewhere, Mr. Jeremić led his country’s delegation at high-level meetings of the African Union, the Organization of American States and the Non-Aligned Movement. In September 2011, he hosted a commemorative observance at the ministerial level for the fiftieth anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement, in Belgrade. During his term as Foreign Minister, Mr. Jeremić was actively involved with deliberations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), participating in meetings of its Ministerial Council; informal meetings of OSCE foreign ministers (Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2010 and Corfu, Greece, 2009); and in the eleventh OSCE Summit that took place in Astana, Kazakhstan (2010). In 2011 and 2012, Mr. Jeremić presided over a number of regional organizations of South-East Europe, including the Central European Initiative, the Adriatic Ionian Initiative and the Southeast Europe Cooperation Process. In this capacity, he addressed several special sessions of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. During this period, Mr. Jeremić also served as head of the Migration, Asylum and Refugees Regional Initiative and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization. Earlier, Mr. Jeremić chaired the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers (May to November 2007), representing the Committee before the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly. From 2008 to 2012, he headed his country’s delegation to all ministerial sessions of the Committee and addressed three sessions of the Council’s Forum for the Future of Democracy, in Sweden (2007), Armenia (2010) and Cyprus (2011). Published by the United Nations Department of Public Information In 2010 and 2011, Mr. Jeremić played a leading role in convening two groundbreaking conferences of foreign ministers, aimed at resolving the plight of refugees uprooted by the 1991-1995 crisis in the Western Balkans. Mr. Jeremić began his career in public service as Adviser to the Minister of Telecommunications of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in the year 2000. In June 2003, he was appointed Adviser for Foreign Affairs to the Minister of Defence of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, and in February 2004, he was appointed Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Democratic Party. Later that year, in July 2004, he became Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to the President of the Republic of Serbia, continuing in this capacity until taking up the position of Foreign Minister in May 2007. Before entering the political sphere, Mr. Jeremić worked for a number of financial institutions in London, including Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, as well as for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Jeremić has lectured at major universities around the world, and participated in debates and discussions convened by think tanks and organizations focusing on global issues, including the Economist magazine, World Economic Forum, Chatham House, the Bled Strategic Forum, the Aspen Institute and the MEDays Forum of the Amadeus Institute. His opinion pieces have been published in major newspapers including The New York Times, International Herald Tribune and The Wall Street Journal. Fluent in English, in addition to his native Serbian, Mr. Jeremić holds a Bachelor of Science degree in theoretical physics from Cambridge University (United Kingdom) and a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (United States). Mr. Jeremić was born in Belgrade in 1975, and is married to Nataša Jeremić. An avid tennis fan, he is currently president of the Serbian Tennis Federation. Published by the United Nations Department of Public Information 12-39702—August 2012—DPI/2580 Sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly To convene on United Nations 18 September 2012 Statement H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremić Acceptance speech upon his election as President New York, 8 June 2012 member of the United Nations descended into ferocious internal strife. The ensuing devastation Let me express my deep respect to you, Mr. Presi- and fratricide left deep wounds in their wake. In dent, for the tireless efforts you have made as the the past few years, under the courageous lead- leader of the General Assembly. I look forward to ership of Boris Tadić, Serbia has reached out to working with you, Sir, to ensure a seamless transi- its neighbours, offering a hand of friendship and tion between our terms. reconciliation. We have also reached out to other It is a great honour to stand before members as members of the global community, including President-elect of the General Assembly at its those with whom we have had bitter disagree- sixty-seventh session. At the outset, allow me to ments. A painful era has now come to an end. extend my sincere gratitude to the States that sup- Today, our nation can proudly stand before the ported the candidature of the Republic of Serbia. world again, less than two decades after having We are a small developing country that belongs to been excluded from this Hall. no military alliance or political union. It is therefore We are a country in which the transfer of power is truly an honour, through the confidence entrusted accomplished peacefully and in accordance with in me by so many nations from all over the world, the rule of law. Serbia is a democracy that, beyond to have been elected to preside over the main working to ensure its own sovereignty and territo- deliberative, policymaking and representative rial integrity and the well-being of its citizens, has organ of the United Nations. no ambition other than to advance the common I look forward to working with everyone, begin- interest of humankind. We therefore remain stead- ning with His Excellency Ambassador Dalius fastly committed to the maintenance of interna- Čekuolis of the Republic of Lithuania. I wish to tional peace and security, the first stated purpose thank him for his gracious conduct throughout of the United Nations. Working to accomplish that the campaign. I hope to be able to draw on his task, second to none in importance, is a most sol- wisdom and experience during my time in office. emn undertaking. I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks The theme I am proposing for the high-level to the many diplomats of Serbia for their diligent debate at the opening of the sixty-seventh ses- efforts to advance my candidature. Let me extend sion of the Assembly is “Bringing about adjust- my special appreciation to the most senior and ment or settlement of international disputes or experienced among them, our Permanent Rep- situations by peaceful means”. Given our experi- resentative to the United Nations, His Excellency ence, we believe that we can facilitate the imple- Ambassador Feodor Starčević. mentation of any resulting proposals, including I consider my election as President of the General those related specifically to conflict prevention. Assembly to be primarily a tribute to the Serbian In taking up this critical issue in September and people, whom I have had the honour to serve beyond, let us not forget that peace is not merely as Minister for Foreign Affairs for more than five the absence of war. As was once remarked by Spi- years. Like many other nations, mine has trav- noza, the first philosopher to argue that democ- elled through periods of tragedy and periods of racy is the best form of government, peace is a glory. At the close of the twentieth century, one virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevo- of the proud victors over fascism and a founding lence, confidence and justice. Published by the United Nations Department of Public Information I pledge to fulfil my duty as President to the very us closer to the day when humankind shall have best of my ability, in order to try to justify the con- assuaged its hurts and abolished its fears; and, in so fidence that members have bestowed upon me. I doing, to further the aspirations of the peoples of will exercise my authority in a forthright and even- the United Nations to save succeeding generations handed manner, with the utmost respect for the from the scourge of war. May it be the will of God equal rights and dignity of each Member State. I that the next session of the General Assembly goes hope that our joint endeavours may help to bring down in history as one of peace. Published by the United Nations Department of Public Information 12-39702—August 2012—DPI/2580 Sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly To convene on United Nations 18 September 2012 Backgrounder United Nations General Assembly opens on 18 September 2012 The General Assembly of the United Nations opens Forum for multilateral negotiation its sixty-seventh session on Tuesday, 18 September, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.