22 June 2011: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has elected by acclamation Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser (Qatar) to be its next President. He will succeed Joseph Deiss (Switzerland) when he takes over the presidency in mid-September 2011 as the 66th session of the Assembly begins.

Al-Nasser served as his country’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York since September 1998. In his remarks after being elected, he underlined that he was becoming President at a time when the world is facing “enormous political, social, economic and environmental challenges,” highlighting extreme weather events, the food crisis, poverty, issues of sustainable development, and the concerns of the least developed countries (LDCs) and small island States. He pledged to try to work as a bridge between countries rich and poor to help build consensus on key issues such as hunger, poverty, terrorism and climate change.

Congratulating Al-Nasser on his election, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon lauded the efforts of the President-elect on a range of issues, including the Responsibility to Protect concept, human security and the green economy. [UN Press Release] [IISD RS Sources]