President of Guyana, His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali is expected to make his inaugural national address to the United Nations General Assembly today.
President Irfaan Ali
Guyana is listed as the second nation to make its presentation during the 75th UNGA and will be doing so on behalf of the Group of 77 (G-77) and China.
The 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 75) opened on September 15, 2020, with the high-level General Debate commencing on Tuesday.
Guyana was admitted to membership in the United Nations by resolution on September 20, 1966, during the 21st regular session of the General Assembly. Since then the country has maintained an active presence and visible profile in the organisation.
President Ali has praised the UN for its commitment to ensuring democracy prevails in Guyana.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd had delivered the keynote address at the 49th Meeting of the Chairpersons of the G-77 Chapters on September 15.
Minister Todd stated that Guyana was proud to be leading the Group for the second time in its efforts to advance the cause of sustainable development, by shaping international cooperation and defining critical aspects of multilateral normative and legal frameworks.
However, the UNGA is meeting in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. During an interview, President-elect of the 75th session, Volkan Bozkir, a Turkish diplomat, noted that COVID-19 has become an overwhelming priority and focus right now.
He explained this was the reason the 75th session’s theme was adopted: “The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism.”
“COVID-19 is a global crisis the world hasn’t known since the UN was created out of the ashes of World War Two. It is not only a health crisis but a social and economic crisis, which has exacerbated existing challenges the UN is seeking to overcome through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” Bozkir said. He added that this is a time for unity as the whole of humanity is in this fight. “Member States have never had a more compelling reason to work closely together for the common good. And I am certain that, together, we will come out of it stronger.”
