UN / PGA FRANCIS PRESSER

"I'm bullish on the UN... we have the will, and we have the capacity and determination to do what is necessary," outgoing General Assembly President told reporters on achievements during his tenure. UNIFEED

• Video Length: 00:04:28
• Production Date: 9 September 2024
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: DENNIS FRANCIS
• Corporate Name: GENERAL ASSEMBLY
• Subject Topical: HEALTH; CLIMATE CHANGE; PALESTINE; HUMAN RIGHTS
• Geographic Subject: UNITED STATES
• MAMS Id: 3252751
• Parent Id: 3252751
• Alternate Title: unifeed240909f

Description

STORY: UN / PGA FRANCIS PRESSER
TRT: 04:28
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 09 SEPTEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior

09 SEPTEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, PGA enters the press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Francis, the President of 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly:
“I hope you will agree with me that this has been a truly eventful session; One that began with the adoption of a landmark political declaration at the SDG Summit, which was endorsed by the General Assembly in its first official action of the 78th session, bringing urgency to our efforts to fulfil the SDGs. The political declarations also approved at the three health-related High-Level Meetings – on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response; on universal health coverage and on the fight against tuberculosis – bolstered these efforts, by placing health and people-centred care at the very centre of the international agenda. The High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, meanwhile, led to a resounding consensus on the need to reform the global financial architecture – with a view to matching our Sustainable Development ambitions for 2030 with the necessary resources for implementation."
4. Wide shot, press briefing room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Francis, the President of 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly:
“Furthermore, the Assembly commemorated the significant milestone of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December with an informal plenary and award ceremony for recipients of the UN Human Rights Prize. At my initiative, in April we convened the Assembly’s first-ever Sustainability Week – featuring events on tourism, transport, infrastructure and energy, as well as a flagship event on debt sustainability, highlighting in particular, the concerns of countries in special situations on these development crises.”
6. Med shot, press briefing room, table with speakers
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Francis, the President of 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly:
“Following the horrifying escalation of violence in the Middle East, the General Assembly took bold action in resuming its 10th Emergency Special Session, and in doing so, adopting three important resolutions: one on the protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations, another demanding an immediate ceasefire, that all parties comply with their obligations under international law and the unconditional release of all hostages as well as humanitarian access, and, a third determining that the State of Palestine is qualified for membership in the United Nations and recommending that the Security Council consider the matter favorably. These demands by the Assembly represent the will of the international community, and – as I have routinely said on several occasions – I reiterate these demands, forthrightly, here today. It is time for the violence in Gaza to stop.”
8. Med shot, journalist
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Francis, the President of 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly:
“I'm bullish on the UN. And it is challenged. There's no doubt about it. But we live in challenging times, and so the challenge that exists is not just for the UN there are many organizations that are challenged. However, we have the will, and we have the capacity and the determination to look ahead and to do what is necessary in terms of reform in order to deliver the commitments we have and the mandate that the charter gives us for the peoples.”
10. Various shots, press briefing room, the PGA leaves.

Storyline

In his final press briefing, Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), described the session as "a truly eventful one." He noted that this session, the first official action of the General Assembly "brought urgency to our efforts to fulfill the SDGs."

Francis also highlighted the outcomes of the three high-level meetings on health, emphasizing that they placed "health and people-centred care at the very centre of the international agenda." He particularly drew attention to the global consensus on the need to "reform the global financial architecture" during the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, essential to matching the Sustainable Development ambitions for 2030 with necessary resources.

Reflecting on the UNGA's commemorations, Francis mentioned the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Assembly’s first-ever Sustainability Week, where global issues on tourism, energy, and debt sustainability were discussed.

He then turned to the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East, where the Assembly resumed its 10th Emergency Special Session and adopted three critical resolutions: protection of civilians, calling for a ceasefire, and recognizing Palestine's qualification for UN membership. "It is time for the violence in Gaza to stop," he stressed.

Finally, Francis expressed optimism about the UN's resilience, despite acknowledging the challenges it faces: "I'm bullish on the UN... we have the will, and we have the capacity and determination to do what is necessary."