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OPENING REMARKS BY

H.E. SYED MOHAMAD HASRIN AIDID, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

AT THE TRANSITION WORKSHOP FOR THE 77^TH OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

His Excellency Abdulla Shahid, President of the General Assembly,

 

His Excellency Csaba Kőrösi, President-elect of the 77^th session of the General Assembly,

 

Permanent Representatives of Ecuador and Finland,

 

Ambassador Marco Suazo, Head of UNITAR in New York,

 

Members of the Office of the 77^th President of the General Assembly; and

 

Distinguished colleagues

 

At the outset, on behalf of the co-organisers namely Ecuador, Finland, UNITAR and my own country Malaysia, I wish to extend our deepest appreciation to both Presidents for your presence today. Your participation further reaffirms the values and importance of strengthening the Office of the PGA, which is one of the key elements of the revitalisation of the General Assembly.

 

2.         I also take this opportunity to commend the leadership of President Abdulla Shahid for his continued efforts and commitment in revitalising and strengthening the visibility and credibility of the General Assembly throughout his presidency.

 

Excellencies, ladies, and gentlemen,

 

3.         We successfully convened the first transition workshop for the Office of the PGA in September last year. The co-organisers received encouraging feedback on the workshop, including from the wider Member States. The transition workshop was also recognised and welcomed by all Member States through the General Assembly resolution 75/325, which was adopted by consensus on 10 September 2021.

 

4.         The holding of this transition workshop is not intended to be just an academic exercise. It is part of the crucial steps in supporting the efforts to strengthen accountability, transparency, and the institutional memory of the Office of the PGA, and in ensuring smooth transition between the two presidencies. For this year’s edition, we are pleased to introduce some key improvements. Allow me to highlight some of them:

 

First: The module on the revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly is given a more dedicated slot, as we believe that it is essential for the members of the Office of the PGA to work together with Member States in supporting the implementation of resolution on revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly 75/325. The revitalisation resolution, among others, covers critical issues such as the synergy between the General Assembly and its main committees, the relationship between the General Assembly and other UN main organs, the arrangement of the high-level week, and the alignment of the General Assembly agenda and mandates;

Second: We have introduced a dedicated module on media, communication, and outreach, as we believe that the module is central in our collective efforts to increase the visibility of the work of the General Assembly and its President;

Third: Most of the briefers that will be speaking this year are from the current Office of the PGA, in order to make the transition and sharing of experiences more relevant, noting that the current Office of the PGA has conducted its work mostly in person compared to the 75^th session; and

Fourth: We have slated more time for the Q & A session so participants can better interact and engage with the briefers.

 

Excellencies, Ladies, and gentlemen,

 

5.         The uniqueness of the Office of the PGA is that it comprises a diverse team from different backgrounds and experiences, namely diplomats and personnel from the UN Secretariat and its agencies. Thus, it is our hope that the transition workshop can serve as an initial and excellent platform for the members of the incoming Office of the PGA to communicate, coordinate and learn from each other within the short transition period between the two presidencies. I encourage all participants to engage actively and constructively in this two-day workshop. Let me conclude by wishing the PGA-elect and his team all the best in the upcoming session of the General Assembly.

 

Thank you.