26 March 2019: UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces has announced that the Permanent Representative of Nigeria, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, is the first candidate for president of the UNGA’s 74th session. An informal interactive dialogue with Muhammad-Bande is scheduled for 13 May 2019.

In September 2017, through its resolution on the ‘Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly’ (71/323), the Assembly decided to conduct informal interactive dialogues with candidates for the position of UNGA President. The Assembly requested candidates to present their vision statements for circulation to UN Member States in advance of the interactive dialogues.

The informal dialogues debuted in 2018 with the election process for the President of UNGA 73, when Ecuador and Honduras presented candidates on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC). Per the principle of geographical rotation, the President of UNGA 74 is to be elected from the African Group.

Muhammad-Bande’s vision statement is transmitted within the Note Verbale from the Permanent Mission of Nigeria that announces the candidacy. Outlining his priorities, he highlights: promoting international peace and security, in particular conflict prevention; strengthening global action to tackle climate change, which he notes is integral to effective implementation of the SDGs; inclusion, human rights, and empowerment of youth and women, calling to build on progress in the context of preparations for Beijing+25; and promoting partnerships for the SDGs, in particular Goals 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger) and 4 (quality education).

Following dialogues with the candidates (beginning with Muhammad-Bande on 13 May), the election of the President is expected to take place in early June 2019. [UNGA President’s letter of 26 March]