11 January 2016: As UN Member States gathered to mark the 70th anniversary of the first meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNGA President Mogens Lykketoft highlighted notable recent UNGA achievements, including the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) on financing for development, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The UNGA meeting took place on 11 January 2015, in New York, US. Officials recalled that the UNGA came together for the first time on 10 January 1946, in London, UK, when 51 nations gathered following a “horrific period” of war, destruction, genocide and nuclear bombings.

Addressing the Assembly, Ban said the UNGA has “truly become the parliament for all people,” as Presidents and Prime Ministers have been joined by activists, business executives, entertainers and religious leaders. He said UNGA resolutions, even if they are not “acted on right away” stand as Member States’ common position on pressing issues, and reflect their conviction that the countries of the world can do “far more collectively than they ever could alone.” Ban described the adoption of the 2030 Agenda as a “21st century declaration of interdependence” and Member States’ collective promise to deliver a life of dignity for all. He called on the Assembly to save more lives, advance more progress and promote ever greater respect for human rights.

Lykketoft said the UNGA’s 193 members represent 99.5% of the world’s population, and has become “the single most representative, deliberative body in the world.” He called for: bringing forward specific actions; engaging all people, young and old; and building alliances with other actors to drive implementation of the AAAA, the 2030 Agenda, and the Paris Agreement. Lykketoft also encouraged even stronger efforts to address extreme poverty, the ongoing global humanitarian and refugee crisis, the increasing number of deadly conflicts and the rise of violent extremism. He also told Member States that as the “current custodians of this Assembly,” they have a duty to protect, preserve and increase its legitimacy.

Member States also presented their reflections. Sudan, for the African States, called for the revitalization of the UNGA in order to streamline its work and enable more efficiency, transparency and effectiveness. Fiji, for the Asia-Pacific States, stressed the need to revitalize the UNGA to reflect the present geopolitical realities, while Trinidad and Tobago, for the Latin American and Caribbean States, said the revitalization of the UNGA must benefit all and make UNGA a “truly democratic, transparent, and representative” body. Albania, for the Eastern European States, stressed that “the time has finally come for a national from the Member States of the Eastern European Group to be entrusted with the highest position of the UN Secretariat.”

Speaking as the Host Country, the US noted that there are people in all nations who see the UN as “an institution of inaction in the face of too much pain around the world,” and launched a call to action. [Meeting Webcast] [UN Press Release] [Remarks of Secretary-General] [Remarks of UNGA President] [UNGA Press Release] [Remarks of US Representative]