President of the General Assembly,

Secretary-General,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This Anniversary accords us an opportunity to reflect and assess the role and relevance of the United Nations and the vision of the UN Charter, as we collectively work towards the future we need, the future we want and the United Nations we need.

Mr. President,
Seventy five (75) years on, our world as we know it today, was built on the ashes of the Second World War; thanks to the resilience of humanity, the defeat of colonization and the establishment of a global multilateral mechanism we are where we are.

This commemoration comes against the backdrop unfortunately of a global crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Undoubtedly, developing and emerging economies have impacted disproportionately. But, more importantly, Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the global vulnerabilities of the United Nations and of our societies as well as our economies.

In this regard, now more than ever, we are called on to reflect on the words of the UN Charter that urge us to employ international machinery for economic and social advancement, of all.

It is, indeed, a call for meaningful international partnerships and multilateral cooperation to build back better together. A call also, to the Bretton Woods institutions and other multilateral lenders, to be responsive to proposals of debt management, so as to create the fiscal space necessary to accommodate interventions to mitigate COVID-19 related impacts on developing and emerging economies.

Mr. President,
The United Nations is an institution founded on the premise of promoting international peace; bolstering security and human rights; and the advancement of development for all.

To this end, the United Nations continues to consolidate efforts and achievements against colonialism, imperialism, poverty and the exploitation of the vulnerable by the powerful; while upholding human rights and human security.

As we celebrate these achievements, the Big Question is this: Is the United Nations fit for purpose? Can we continue with business as usual?

Mr. President,
It goes without saying that the world has undergone radical changes 75 years on. Ninety six percent (96%) of our world’s population was not born when this institution was created. Global challenges have intensified unprecedentedly.

At the same time, innovation and technology have created great opportunities while at the same time unleashing challenges that would have been unimaginable to the visionaries who created this organization.

Therefore, I do believe it is incumbent upon us to rethink how we can build a better United Nations. But in order to Build Back Better the United Nations system, we must ensure that it is closer to the people, more representative of the 21st Century and in line with the spirit of leaving no one behind.

We must work towards a United Nations that is better financed and equipped to be more impactful to deal with humanitarian crises and be effective in the mitigation as well as elimination of civil and long protracted wars.

A multilateral system that directly targets poverty and inequalities, as a global priority that requires urgent and global collective action.

In conclusion Mr. President, Today’s world is distinctively more diverse and complex, but yet more interdependent. The juxtaposition must ignite our collective resolve to act now but more importantly to act decisively in solidarity to ensure that the United Nations serves well the needs of the world’s people, the people in whose name this great organization was established.

I thank you all for your attention.