76th UNGA session kickstarts with Maldives Foreign Min calling for unity

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 14 opened its 76th session with the new president Abdulla Shahid and UN chief Antonio Guterres urging the member states to remain united in the face of the challenging year that witnessed climate crisis, conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The president of the 76th UNGA session said, “It has been a tragic and challenging year, but this is a new session.”

He added, “We can fall back on the comfort and predictability of systems and procedures, of the United Nations machinery that fills our days, or we can choose to push forward and turn the page. We can choose to write a new chapter."

"Let us choose the latter; let us dare to dream and let us dare to hope, to embrace the presidency of hope," said Shahid.

While addressing the upcoming challenges, Shahid noted that there are hundreds of millions across the globe who fell ill or died with billions suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that reports have emerged almost every day that ignited the world’s collective anxiety about climate change, natural disasters, conflicts and instability. Laying emphasis on the relevance of UNGA today after 76 years, Shahid said, “The narrative must change, and we must be the initiator for that change; the General Assembly must play a part of this.”

‘Embraced hope as the theme of my presidency’

In his first remarks to the UNGA, Shahid also announced that he has “embraced hope as the theme of my Presidency. I am not naïve, nor do I say this just to use nice-sounding words. Hope is what this moment in time calls for.” the president for 76th UNGA session said that even though the COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed the world in an unprecedented crisis, the world “witnessed incredible acts of kindness and compassion, acts that reaffirmed our common humanity and collective strength as 'nations united.' This is the narrative we must tell." 

He then went on to list the five rays of hope that would mould the 76th session of the UN General Assembly and stressed that vaccinating the world against COVID-19 is the topmost priority. Meanwhile, at the closing of the 75th UNGA, Guterres said, “By any measure, this has been the most challenging period facing the world since the Second World War.” however, the UN chief noted that the international community can overcome all the challenges “by working as one.”

IMAGE: AP/Twitter