Ad Hoc Working Group on Revitalization of the General Assembly General Debate, March 9th, 2018

Ambassador Mejia Velez, Ambassador Drobnjak,

Let me first join others in congratulating you both and thanking you for taking on the roles of Co-Chairs of this Ad Hoc Working Group.  You can count on Canada’s support in the months to come.

It is worth noting the recent successes of this Group: 

- a landmark advance in the transparency and selection process for Secretaries-General;

- the institution of an Oath of Office and Code of Conduct for Presidents of the General Assembly and their staff;  and, most recently,

-  the launch of a modern and more multilingual UN Journal.  One that we can access quickly and easily.

Madam and Mr. Co-Chairs,

Looking ahead, I would like to make three brief points today.   

First: There remains room to both codify as well as improve further the Secretary-General selection and appointment processes.

This year’s resolution should list and reaffirm all good practices from our experience in 2016. 

Together we can perhaps identify additional transparency measures for consideration and support by the General Assembly. 

Second:  It is not too early to focus on the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, and how we might use that occasion to enhance the relevance of the General Assembly for the decades ahead.

This Working Group can prepare the way for the formal preparatory process by encouraging multi-stakeholder inputs and thinking creatively about what we hear.

Third: Civil society has become an essential partner in advancing the goals of the UN. 

For example, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require the full engagement of all partners. 

Civil society voices helpfully inform inter-governmental processes addressing human rights, humanitarian action and sustaining peace. 

Governments have much to learn from listening to the broadest possible range of voices across the full range of issues we face.

I would like to point to one important example that may help to inform our work in the Ad Hoc Working Group.  We understand that a civil society-led consortium is leading a “UN 2020 Initiative” focused on a review and renewal of the UN.

We would encourage delegations to engage constructively with the consortium and to consider positively not only ambitious goals for the UN’s 75th Anniversary, but more generally how we can make the General Assembly’s work more inclusive of civil society’s contributions.

Co-Chairs,

We have every confidence that, under your leadership, this Ad Hoc Working Group can help drive such a forward-looking agenda.   

Thank you.