STORY: 78th session of UN General Assembly opens
DATELINE: Sept. 6, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:23
LOCATION: UN Headquarters
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the UN General Assembly Hall
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): AMINA MOHAMMED, UN Deputy Secretary-General
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): Dennis Francis, President of 78th session of UN General Assembly

STORYLINE:

The 78th session of the UN General Assembly was declared open on Tuesday by new General Assembly President Dennis Francis.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his opening remarks read on his behalf by his deputy, Amina Mohammed, warned of a world of deep challenge and division that is testing the United Nations.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): AMINA MOHAMMED, UN Deputy Secretary-General
"Despite profound global challenges, this is not a moment for pessimism. This is a moment for action. Action for peace and human rights; action to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals and tackle the existential threat of climate change; action to create productive jobs and expand economic opportunity, especially for women and young people; action to ensure that rapid evolutions in technology like artificial intelligence are a help, and not a harm to humanity; action to build a world of hope and promise for all that leaves no-one behind."

In his opening remarks, Francis said the new session of the General Assembly began "amid a daunting global agenda, beset by a series of cascading challenges."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): DENNIS FRANCIS, President of 78th session of UN General Assembly
"Let us push for and nurture peace, among other things, by empowering those most vulnerable. Let us deliver shared prosperity by unlocking the resources required for transformational results. Let us accelerate progress by capitalizing on the enablers of youth, innovation, and technology. And let us drive sustainability by recommitting to the principles and processes that help to guide our way. This session, I will commit to engaging regional and other groups to collectively collaborate to bring to life a renewed atmosphere of global cooperation and shared commitments. My ambition is for the General Assembly to address the array of challenges it faces in the most effective and inclusive way possible."

Francis, a diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago, was sworn in at the closing of the 77th session of the General Assembly on Tuesday morning.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from UN Headquarters.
(XHTV)