Trinidad and Tobago's permanent representative to the United Nations, Dennis Francis, will serve as the Chair of the upcoming 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2023.
Francis is set to succeed current UNGA President Csaba Korosi, a Hungarian diplomat.
He was elected by acclamation at a UNGA plenary session, as his candidacy was not contended.
In his address to the assembly after his election, Francis said: "I commit to discharge the responsibilities of the office with transparency, accountability, vigor, and dedication, bearing in mind that all members have equal rights."
Francis emphasized that he will prioritize encouraging and facilitating meaningful dialogue in various formats in order to ensure that there is clarity of priorities and the strengthening of common purpose in the interests of coherence.
He continued: "It is my hope to bring forward, with your help and support, a renewed atmosphere of conciliation, cooperation and shared commitment in addressing the many challenges and seizing every opportunity, however nascent, before the General Assembly. I will seek to enhance current approaches and adopt new ones with probable solutions as we endeavor to deliver, or at least to strengthen, the basis for delivering peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability."
Francis also called for the support and engagement of the member states in efforts to accelerate action toward the achievement of sustainable development.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Francis arrives at a deeply challenging moment for the human family with conflicts and climate chaos; escalating poverty, hunger and inequality; mistrust and division.
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