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UN PhotoPhilemon Yang (General Assembly President) on the 80th Anniversary of the Signing of the UN Charter - General Assembly, Informal Plenary meeting, 79th session
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Remarks by Philemon Yang, President of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, at the General Assembly meeting to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter.
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[As Delivered]
Mr. Secretary-General,Mr. President of the International Court of Justice,Madame President of the Security Council,Mr. President of the Economic and Social Council,Your Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour to welcome you to this meeting of the General Assembly.Today, we commemorate the eightieth anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations.
It is a momentous occasion indeed.
We are commemorating at a very painful juncture in the life of this Organization.
Conflicts rage and tensions simmer in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.
Multilateralism, which promotes international cooperation within the United Nations, is under serious attack.
Wars and violent confrontations seem more common than dialogue and diplomacy for peace.
Unhealed historical wounds are reappearing, and ultra nationalism is back with a vengeance.
Inequality is on the rise and many international normative practices are regressing.
Some important nations have chosen force instead of adherence to international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
That is an extremely dangerous situation.
We must seize the moment and choose dialogue and diplomacy instead of destructive wars.
Your Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,
We must not forget that the adoption and signing of the Charter on 26 June 1945 marked a turning point in modern history.
For delegations gathered in San Francisco, it reflected a shared commitment to a better world following the devastation of two world wars.
Together, they vowed never again to allow such unimaginable suffering and catastrophic wars.
Together, they laid the foundation for a new multilateral order – one thatshould be anchored in dialogue and cooperation.
Together, they shared a bold vision:
"to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war"
"to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights," and
to "promote […] better standards of life – in larger freedom" – for all.
As Abraham Feller, the United Nations first Legal Counsel, powerfully declared: I quote
"The Charter bears the seeds of a greater growth, which if nourished by Governments and peoples, can be made to give forth the fruit of deliverance from our age-long perils." Unquote.
Eighty years on, we bear witness to how that seed has flourished.How it has rooted itself deeply in the soil of multilateralism.
And how it has evolved as a living testament to the power of cooperation and shared responsibility to forge peace.
We are here today thanks to the commitments made in 1945.
The foundation of multilateralism upon which the United Nations sits is increasingly shaken.
However, we must not forget the achievements made by our eighty-year-old Organization.
For eight decades, the United Nations has stood at the heart of humanity's response to its greatest challenges.
From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations has established norms.
Those norms declare clearly that dignity knows no borders.
All human beings have a right to live dignified lives.
The United Nations has steered us through decolonisation, giving birth to new nations and new hopes.
Its peacekeepers have brought calm to conflict, serving with valour and sacrifice.
It has championed the cause of human rights, rallied us to protect our planet.
And it has shaped a global agenda that envisions peace, development and dignity, not as dreams for some, but as promises for all.
Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,
Comme toute œuvre humaine, l'organisation des Nations Unies n'est pas exempte de reproches.
L'ONU se trouve à un moment important de son histoire, où elle doit engager des réformes pour devenir plus efficace.
La crédibilité de l'ONU et du système multilatéral qu'elle incarne dépend de sa capacité à s'adapter aux réalités de notre temps.
Le Pacte pour l'avenir et ses deux annexes, à savoir le Pacte numérique mondial et la Déclaration sur les générations futures constituent des boussoles à cet égard.
Ils offrent le cadre nécessaire pour bâtir une Organisation des Nations Unies adaptée à sa mission et tournée vers l'avenir.
Dans le même sens, les réformes impulsées par l'initiative ONU 80 du Secrétaire Général des Nations Unies feront de notre organisation un vecteur de coopération internationale durable.
Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,
La Charte des Nations Unies actuellement en vigueur a été préparée aux lendemains de l'un des conflits les plus meurtriers de l'humanité.
La conférence de San Francisco dont cette Charte émane fut un moment de célébration de la solidarité internationale.
Un appel à l'humanité, pour tracer la voie vers la Paix, la dignité et la prospérité partagée.
Je vous invite à honorer cet héritage.
Ranimons aujourd'hui l'esprit de San Francisco.
Choisissons le dialogue plutôt que la division,
La coopération plutôt que le conflit,
Et avançons ensemble, en pensant à cet appel de notre Charte et je cite:
" Nous, peuples des Nations Unies, résolus à préserver les générations futures du fléau de la guerre..."
Je vous remercie.
View moreView lessMr. Secretary-General,Mr. President of the International Court of Justice,Madame President of the Security Council,Mr. President of the Economic and Social Council,Your Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour to welcome you to this meeting of the General Assembly.Today, we commemorate the eightieth anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations.
It is a momentous occasion indeed.
We are commemorating at a very painful juncture in the life of this Organization.
Conflicts rage and tensions simmer in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.
Multilateralism, which promotes international cooperation within the United Nations, is under serious attack.
Wars and violent confrontations seem more common than dialogue and diplomacy for peace.
Unhealed historical wounds are reappearing, and ultra nationalism is back with a vengeance.
Inequality is on the rise and many international normative practices are regressing.
Some important nations have chosen force instead of adherence to international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
That is an extremely dangerous situation.
We must seize the moment and choose dialogue and diplomacy instead of destructive wars.
Your Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,
We must not forget that the adoption and signing of the Charter on 26 June 1945 marked a turning point in modern history.
For delegations gathered in San Francisco, it reflected a shared commitment to a better world following the devastation of two world wars.
Together, they vowed never again to allow such unimaginable suffering and catastrophic wars.
Together, they laid the foundation for a new multilateral order – one thatshould be anchored in dialogue and cooperation.
Together, they shared a bold vision:
"to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war"
"to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights," and
to "promote […] better standards of life – in larger freedom" – for all.
As Abraham Feller, the United Nations first Legal Counsel, powerfully declared: I quote
"The Charter bears the seeds of a greater growth, which if nourished by Governments and peoples, can be made to give forth the fruit of deliverance from our age-long perils." Unquote.
Eighty years on, we bear witness to how that seed has flourished.How it has rooted itself deeply in the soil of multilateralism.
And how it has evolved as a living testament to the power of cooperation and shared responsibility to forge peace.
We are here today thanks to the commitments made in 1945.
The foundation of multilateralism upon which the United Nations sits is increasingly shaken.
However, we must not forget the achievements made by our eighty-year-old Organization.
For eight decades, the United Nations has stood at the heart of humanity's response to its greatest challenges.
From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations has established norms.
Those norms declare clearly that dignity knows no borders.
All human beings have a right to live dignified lives.
The United Nations has steered us through decolonisation, giving birth to new nations and new hopes.
Its peacekeepers have brought calm to conflict, serving with valour and sacrifice.
It has championed the cause of human rights, rallied us to protect our planet.
And it has shaped a global agenda that envisions peace, development and dignity, not as dreams for some, but as promises for all.
Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,
Comme toute œuvre humaine, l'organisation des Nations Unies n'est pas exempte de reproches.
L'ONU se trouve à un moment important de son histoire, où elle doit engager des réformes pour devenir plus efficace.
La crédibilité de l'ONU et du système multilatéral qu'elle incarne dépend de sa capacité à s'adapter aux réalités de notre temps.
Le Pacte pour l'avenir et ses deux annexes, à savoir le Pacte numérique mondial et la Déclaration sur les générations futures constituent des boussoles à cet égard.
Ils offrent le cadre nécessaire pour bâtir une Organisation des Nations Unies adaptée à sa mission et tournée vers l'avenir.
Dans le même sens, les réformes impulsées par l'initiative ONU 80 du Secrétaire Général des Nations Unies feront de notre organisation un vecteur de coopération internationale durable.
Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,
La Charte des Nations Unies actuellement en vigueur a été préparée aux lendemains de l'un des conflits les plus meurtriers de l'humanité.
La conférence de San Francisco dont cette Charte émane fut un moment de célébration de la solidarité internationale.
Un appel à l'humanité, pour tracer la voie vers la Paix, la dignité et la prospérité partagée.
Je vous invite à honorer cet héritage.
Ranimons aujourd'hui l'esprit de San Francisco.
Choisissons le dialogue plutôt que la division,
La coopération plutôt que le conflit,
Et avançons ensemble, en pensant à cet appel de notre Charte et je cite:
" Nous, peuples des Nations Unies, résolus à préserver les générations futures du fléau de la guerre..."
Je vous remercie.