By Muhammad Amaan
The President of the General Assembly, Philémon Yang, has called for global unity, reminding the UN Member States that the Organisation’s strength lies in its diversity.
Yang, who made the call at the closing session of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly on Monday in New York.
The General Assembly President reminded UN Member States that the Organisation’s strength lies in its diversity and ability to unite around common goals, as the curtains drew on the 79th session’s high-level debate.
2024 general debate opened with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressing UN’s membership on September 24 while Nigerian Vice-President Kashim Shettima addressed the assembly on September 25.
Over six days, 190 Member States took to the iconic green marble podium, highlighting the pressing challenges confronting the international community and the need for global unity to overcome. In addition, three Observers also spoke.
As these leaders addressed global challenges, Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly, closed the session with a powerful reminder of the ongoing conflicts and the urgent need for peace.
Conflicts raging in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and Ukraine are unfortunately not an exhaustive list, he said.
“In the last few days, the world has seen an extremely dramatic escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. That escalation risks causing war in the entire Middle East region.”
“This must stop, and it must stop now. The world must not allow an all-out war to happen in this volatile region,” he stressed, calling on all parties – Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah – to urgently come to a ceasefire.
“And for all remaining hostages to be freed immediately and unharmed.”
Yang emphasised that only by working together can the international community confront and overcome the complex and discouraging challenges before it.
“Only through dialogue, listening, and collective action, can we find solutions that benefit all of us.”
He emphasised that the theme for the 79th Session – Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for everyone, everywhere – is not just a guiding principle, it is a call to action.
“The theme reminds us that our strength lies in our diversity, and our ability to unite stakeholders around our common goals,” he said.
“Let us all move forward together with this spirit of unity and shared responsibility. Let us continue our work, with the clear aim of building a peaceful, just, and dignified future for all.”
