(Continued) General Assembly: Formal plenary meeting…

The General Assembly concluded today its debate on the Secretary-General’s priorities for 2022, as delegates called for strengthened international cooperation and multilateralism as key to achieving those strategic objectives.

Today’s discussion followed a meeting on 21 January in which the Secretary-General called upon countries to mobilize against a “five-alarm global fire”, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, an unprincipled global financial system, lawlessness in cyberspace and a rise in violent conflict (See Press Release GA/12401).

Resuming the debate, Cuba’s representative said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development remains the road map for fair socioeconomic development for all States, calling on Member States to defend multilateralism and reject coercive measures, such as the one imposed by the United States. Drawing attention to the right to development, he stressed that it must be promoted with the same force the international community applies to other human rights.

Azerbaijan’s delegate described the central role of the United Nations in promoting global solidarity, multilateralism and common efforts as the most effective means to achieve sustainable development and human rights. Agreeing on the need to confront vaccine nationalism, he said his country has mobilized resources to ensure equitable vaccine access for all States.

Along the same lines, Haiti’s delegate commended the Organization’s contributions to peace and socioeconomic progress, stating: “Despite its weaknesses, how can we imagine the world without superstructures such as the United Nations?”

Timor-Leste’s representative urged the entire international community to cooperate and fulfil commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change and support developing countries’ efforts to address the issue by providing financial resources and technical support.

Wrapping up the debate, the Assembly took note of the Secretary-General’s annual report on the work of the Organization (document A/76/1).

Also speaking today were the representatives of Tajikistan, Peru, Myanmar, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Philippines and India.