The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has elected, by acclamation, Philemon Yang, former Prime Minister of Cameroon, to serve as President of its 79th session. His tenure will be guided by the theme, ‘Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for everyone everywhere.’ Yang will succeed Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, current UNGA President, assuming the presidency on 10 September 2024.

“I am convinced that through dialogue, through consensus, talking together and looking to the future together, we can solve problems,” Yang said speaking to journalists following the elections.

In accordance with the principle of geographical rotation, the president of UNGA 79 was to be elected from the Group of African States. Yang was the only official candidate for the presidency, and a May 2024 informal interactive dialogue on his candidature preceded his election on 6 June 2024.

Among other positions, the President-elect has served as: Cameroon’s High Commissioner to Canada; head of Cameroonian delegations to high-level economic summits in Washington D.C, London, New Delhi, and several other capitals; and Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. He also participated in various sessions of the African Union (AU) Conference of Heads of State and Government, including the summit on the institutional reform of the African Union.

Outlining the thrust of his Presidency in his vision and mission statement, Yang describes the UNGA as the highest, most representative deliberative body at the global level, which serves as “the lone forum where, based on sovereign equality, States in their diverse opinions meet to jointly seek solutions” through the free expression of diverse convictions, opinions, interests, and  approaches.

“To preserve peace, promote sustainable development and protect the planet,” Yang underscores, “the international community should ensure that the objectives jointly set by Member States… are achieved.” According to his statement, the need to fast-track the measures to be taken by the UNGA to ensure the effective implementation of mutual commitments will be one of the Yang’s priorities.

Congratulating Yang on his election, UN Secretary-General António Guterres underlined the imperative of “not los[ing] sight of our objective of a more peaceful and sustainable world.” He looked forward to working closely with Yang “as he unites Member States around collaborative solutions that can deliver justice to Africa and to the developing world.”

Also extending his congratulations, UNGA 78 President Dennis Francis stressed that amidst multiple complex challenges, “upholding the principles of multilateralism and international cooperation has never been more vital.” “We must work together – and much harder – in solidarity and partnership, to address the pressing issues of our time and to ensure that no one is left behind,” he said.

The UNGA elected Algeria, Angola, Austria, Barbados, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Moldova, Senegal, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela as Vice-Presidents of its plenary join the five permanent members of the Security Council – China, France, the Russian Federation, the UN, and the US – which serve annually as Assembly Vice-Presidents.

The Assembly also elected the Bureaus of its six Main Committees: Disarmament and International Security; Special Political and Decolonization; Economic and Financial; Social, Humanitarian and Cultural; Administrative and Budgetary; and Legal. [UN Meetings Coverage] [UN News Story] [Election of UNGA 79 President]