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After officially receiving Iceland’s iconic wooden gavel from the outgoing Assembly president, Annalesa Baerbock, Khalilur Rahman Bangladesh outlines the main themes for this year: Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that benefits everyone.
“We must make the UN fit for the futurehe said, underscoring the importance of listening to the voices of civil society. “We are facing a situation where trust is in deficit. This is not 1945. This is the 81st trial. The world has moved forward. The organization must move forward, and I will help with that process.”
The following is a snapshot of Mr Rahman’s priorities:
The essence of solving global problems
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres saluted President Annalesa Baerbock’s achievements and welcomed Rahman’s new term – which begins amidst conflict, geopolitical divisions, the risk of nuclear escalation, persistent poverty, inequality and worsening climate chaos, he said.
Another urgent priority is selecting the next UN chief, who will begin his term in January 2027.
“Rebuilding trust in the multilateral system is the great challenge of our timesaid the UN Secretary General. “In these turbulent times, a global problem-solving system is more important than ever.”
But from the UN Security Council In global finance, the institutions of the multilateral system are working hard to seize this moment, said Guterres.
A better future
“International law and human rights – which are at the heart of our Organization – are too often violated with impunity, and geopolitical distrust and suspicion continue to hinder the effective solutions we need and erode people’s trust in the possibility of global cooperation,” he said.
“But, when I joined you at the opening of the General Assembly session for the final time as Secretary General, I have great hope thanks to the work happening here.”
Since its inception, the UN has been a place where the world’s toughest and most important problems are faced head-on, he said.
“Through diplomacy, dialogue and collaboration, this Assembly can rebuild the trust and goodwill lost in our current geopolitics and ensure the world’s people inherit a better, healthier and more peaceful future.”
UN is a ‘necessity’
At the final meeting of the Assembly’s 80th session, president Baerbock told ambassadors that he was “more convinced than ever of the importance and necessity of the United Nations.”
Despite its shortcomings, not a single day, not a single country, would be better off without the UN
For those who argue that the UN is irrelevant or failing, especially in this new geopolitical reality, he called on member states to consider the alternative – a world without the UN.
He pointed to the millions of children who would not be in school without the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and women who only dare to leave the house without fear of being raped because UN peacekeepers are deployed nearby.
“But our challenge is that in a world where hate gets six times as many clicks, these positive examples can go unnoticedhe said.
“Make no mistake, Despite its shortcomings, not a single day, not a single country would be better off without the UN.”
An old diplomat, Khalilur Rahman left his position as Bangladesh’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to take up his new duties leading the General Assembly.
Having previously served as National Security Advisor and High Representative for Rohingya Issues in the Interim Government of Bangladesh, he also held senior positions at the UN and was a founding member of East West University in Dhaka.
Watch Mr. Rahman’s press observations at UN Headquarters outlining his priorities here:
