79th session of UN General Assembly opens

The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was declared open on Tuesday by Philemon Yang, the assembly's new president.

In his opening remarks, Yang said the world faces many challenges, such as climate change, which is devastating the planet and endangering countless lives and societies, and conflicts and armed violence, which rage on from Sudan to Haiti and from Ukraine to the Gaza Strip.

"Suffering caused by poverty and hunger continues to linger," he said, adding that prejudice and hate – often amplified by new digital tools that bring opportunities but also risk – continue to fuel tensions and strife.

He called for drawing inspiration from the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international cooperation to address these issues.

Stressing that international cooperation remains the most effective tool for addressing the issues, Yang said, "Cooperation among member states is what allows us to harness our collective resources and ingenuity to realize humanity's greatest aspirations, such as peace, justice and sustainable development."

The UNGA stands as the most powerful platform to fully seize its promise, he said.

Yang outlined the priorities during his tenure, focusing on the principles of unity in diversity, the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and "a thorough and uncompromising commitment to human dignity, for everyone, everywhere."

Other priorities include multilingualism in the UNGA's work, and gender equality and women's empowerment.

He reiterated the commitment to carrying out the mandates of the UNGA, including the reform of the Security Council, the revitalization of the assembly, and the Social Summit 2025.

In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the assembly is "the place where solutions are made" for the many challenges facing the world today, including solutions to bring the Sustainable Development Goals back to life, and to end poverty and inequality; solutions to spur economic progress and job-creation for all; solutions to bridge the political divides and end the conflicts; and solutions to end the climate catastrophe.

"As we open this 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, we confront a world in trouble. But the good news is that we can do something about it," he said.

In confronting the challenges, the UNGA remains an indispensable tool and a vital pathway toward a peaceful and just future for all people, said Guterres.

Yang, who is from Cameroon, was sworn in at the closing of the 78th session of the UNGA Tuesday morning.