Trinidad and Tobago veteran diplomat elected as new GA president for 78th session

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau

UNITED NATIONS, 2nd June. World body on Thursday has elected a veteran diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago Ambassador Dennis Francis as the President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, according to UNGA spokeswoman.

Ambassador Dennis Francis has had 40-year-career will chairs the UN’s main policy-making body in September.

He was elected by acclamation during a ceremony in the iconic General Assembly Hall at UN Headquarters in New York.

General Assembly consists of all 193 UN Member States, all of which have an equal vote. Its duties include appointing the Secretary-General, on the recommendation of the Security Council, and approved the Organization’s annual budget.

Mr. Francis said he will prioritize encouraging and facilitating meaningful dialogue.

“It is my hope to bring forward, with your help and support, a renewed atmosphere of conciliation, cooperation and shared commitment in addressing the many challenges and seizing every opportunity, however nascent, before the General Assembly,” he said.

He added that “I will seek to enhance current approaches and adopt new ones with probable solutions, as we endeavour to deliver or at least to strengthen the bases for delivering Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability.”

He spoke about the prominent role of education in his life and career and upheld the need to ensure all people have the chance to learn, SDGs, which call to end extreme poverty and other deprivations, by 2030.

The current General Assembly President, Csaba Kőrösi of Hungary, noted that his successor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the post.

“Mr. Francis’ vision for the 78th session – ‘Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability’ – offers a comprehensive view of the work of the General Assembly as we rebuild trust in and within this institution, tackle climate change and strive to get the SDGs back on track,” he said.

Secretary-General António Guterres said that Mr. Francis’s tenure comes at “a deeply challenging moment”, amidst conflicts, climate chaos, and escalating poverty, hunger and inequality – while the SDGs are also “slipping out of reach”.

He said the incoming President also brings a critical perspective as many issues addressed in the General Assembly such as climate change and an unjust global financial system – hit small island developing States like Trinidad and Tobago the hardest.

“We look forward to the President-elect carrying forward the theme of his presidency Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability – in the year ahead, and to bringing this Assembly together to strengthen global cooperation at this difficult moment,” he said.

Mr. Francis is the Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the UN and has had a diplomatic career that spans nearly four decades.

He held the rank of Ambassador for 18 consecutive years until his compulsory retirement in 2016 made him the country’s longest serving Ambassador.

Ambassador Francis served as Senior Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on all multilateral matters, including Climate Change and the negotiations for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which contains the SDGs, according to his bio shared by the spokesman’s office.