Ambassador Volkan Bozkır, former Minister of European Union (EU) and Chief Negotiator and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, who was elected as the President of the 75th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), expressed his gratitude to the member countries who elected him as the President of the General Assembly in his acceptance speech via video conference.
Stating that he was honored by the trust and support of the members, Bozkır said:
“Moreover, it is a privilege to undertake this prestigious duty on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his trust in me, his favor and his uninterrupted support to date. Likewise, from the beginning to the end of my election process. “I would also like to sincerely thank our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, for his close attention and strong support.”
Stating that he has served Turkey and the nation as a diplomat and politician for nearly 50 years and that today is the beginning of a new era for him, Bozkır emphasized that it is a great honor for him to be the first Turkish citizen to preside over the UN General Assembly.
“I look forward to continuing our cooperation”
Bozkır said:
“During my term as President of the General Assembly, I will represent all members of the United Nations. The expectations and opinions of each group and its members will be equally important and valuable to me. Therefore, as President of the 75th General Assembly, I will best meet the desires and expectations of the United Nations and its members.” You can be assured that I will perform my duties appropriately. I believe that the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly, as administrators of the two principal organs of the UN, should work in harmony. During my term of office, my work will complement your agenda and priorities. I will make the work of the United Nations as full-bodied as possible. “I will support your agenda for the reform of the organization, which aims to make it more effective, within the framework of my duty. I would like to express my appreciation for the leadership you have shown, especially in the last difficult months. I would also like to thank you for the productive dialogue we have established with you so far, and I look forward to continuing this cooperation in the coming period. “
Bozkır noted that the agendas of the United Nations General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (EKOSOK) generally complement each other, but sometimes conflict.
Taking this into consideration, Bozkır emphasized that he will be in close cooperation with the ECOSOK President and said that he had the first meeting in this regard with Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and ECOSOK President.
Bozkır stated that they will strive to further harmonize the important work carried out by these two main United Nations bodies in the coming period, and stated that the general agenda of the organization requires a timely and strong coordination between the United Nations decision-making bodies.
“I want to continue the dialogue during the transition process”
Pointing out that he will make an effort to ensure that the General Assembly agenda is not insensitive to the issues and prevents repetitions, Bozkır made the following evaluations:
“In this context, I will be in regular contact and communication with the Chairmen of all Main Committees, whose duties will be undertaken by the Permanent Representatives of Spain, Nepal, Hungary, Botswana, Uruguay and Chile, to support their work. Due to the conditions created by the Covid-19 epidemic, I have been in New York since January. However, I have recently had the opportunity to contact representatives of almost all United Nations member countries, both through the interactive dialogue meeting on May 15 and the meetings I held via video conference with the heads, coordinators and members of regional groups and other country groups in the UN. “These meetings and exchanges were extremely useful for me. In this way, I had the opportunity to listen to different groups of countries, their specific needs and their expectations from the President of the United Nations General Assembly. I want to continue this dialogue during the transition period.”
Stating that he aims to meet physically with the representatives of the member countries for professional and social purposes as soon as living conditions return to normal, Bozkır expressed his appreciation to the President of the 74th General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, for successfully fulfilling his unexpectedly challenging duty as the Balkan of the 74th General Assembly of the United Nations. conveyed.
Bozkır stated that Bande’s astute and calm approach helped to make progress in these difficult times, and said that he was ready to continue close cooperation with Bande and his office in the coming period for a smooth and efficient transition process.
“Global problems require global solutions”
Emphasizing that they are facing serious and urgent problems in different parts of the world, including humanitarian crises, conflicts that cause many casualties, and Covid-19, Bozkır continued as follows:
“These global problems
It requires manual solutions. The most effective way to find global solutions is through full commitment to the principle of multilateralism. As the ‘parliament of the world’, the United Nations General Assembly is best placed to direct our multilateralism efforts. Therefore, presiding over members of the United Nations is a great responsibility. I am aware of this and I will make every effort to fulfill this important task of great responsibility. I will work to establish and consolidate trust and harmony among member countries, civil society and other international organizations. The search for consensus will be at the center of my efforts. I will use the moral authority and power of the President of the General Assembly to the extent possible. The fundamental principles of my presidency will be impartiality, effectiveness, transparency and non-discrimination. During my term of office, I will give equal and balanced importance to the three fundamental pillars of the United Nations: peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. “I will not lose sight of the relevance of these concepts to the world outside the United Nations building.”
Bozkır stated that the issues on which he intends to make particular efforts are multilateralism, the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, ensuring the finalization of the expectations envisaged in the “humanitarian agenda”, especially the most vulnerable countries, countries with special situations on the path of development, gender equality and strengthening the position of women. listed.
“Covid-19 is a humanitarian crisis”
Stating that today we are faced with an unprecedented global problem, Bozkır said, “Covid-19 is a humanitarian crisis as well as a health crisis. At the same time, it is a threat with social, political and economic consequences and negative reflections on human rights. The pandemic is a pandemic.” In our common fight against the United Nations, as the three main pillars of the United Nations, we must focus primarily on the special needs of the most vulnerable. We must be able to reach them in a much stronger way, and we must not forget that each of us must be safe for the safety of all. In this context, during my Presidency of the General Assembly, Covid-19 “In the fight against epidemics, my priorities will be the ‘Global Humanitarian Aid Plan’ and the ‘Relief and Recovery Fund’, which are the main initiatives of the United Nations, and their implementation within the framework of the ‘2030 Agenda’.” made his evaluations.
In his speech, Bozkır pointed out that it is critical to implement the United Nations Charter and renew people’s faith in international institutions, especially the United Nations, in the face of the challenges posed by Covid-19.
Stating that he hopes to be able to return to the normal functioning of the organization soon, including the United Nations General Assembly, and to hold meetings with physical participation by taking the necessary precautions for health, Bozkır concluded his speech as follows:
“On the other hand, under current conditions, we may need to review and rearrange the priority list of the 75th United Nations General Assembly. This is naturally a process that member countries will direct and make decisions together. As President, I will be ready to support these efforts within the framework of my authority. United Nations The General Assembly reflects the collective conscience and will of the international community. In this context, I would like to conclude my remarks by emphasizing that it is a great honor and privilege for me to preside over the only United Nations body where all member states have equal say. The 75th General Assembly of the United Nations “I look forward to serving as Chairman of the Board.”
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/turkiye/bm-75-genel-kurul-baskanligina-secilen-bozkir-bm-uyelerini-tamamini-temsil-edeceg%CC%86im/1886264
