Prof. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the United Nations General Assembly said on Friday that the UN remained committed to eradicating poverty and hunger across the world.
Muhammad-Bande also reassured the world that the global body was committed to ensuring peace, security, and quality education worldwide.
He made this known in Abuja during his visit to Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama as part of scheduled activities on his first official visit to the country as President of the General Assembly.
According to him, poverty eradication, ensuring peace and security, inclusion, quality education, climate action are in line with his vision and mandate as the 74th President of the UN General Assembly.
He added that achieving the set out vision and mandate would go a long way toward achieving the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“I am always conscious that I will not fail Nigeria in my capacity as President of the General Assembly at the 74th Session.
“We have within two months set the proper pace and we are very happy that everyone that has had an association with the system has stated that we have started really well.
“Our mandates are very clear as stated. Poverty eradiation must be key. So is peace and security. So will be education. So will be inclusion.
“And these are already agreed goals but they take particular urgency in Africa and in the global turf and they are also important for the global community.
“And we have already a road map and we have made all the key appointments to help in key negotiations that are necessary to have the system operate.
“Even difficult negotiations are made easier where you are clear as to why you are doing it.
“The importance of peace and security is not only to Nigeria but all of us,” Muhammad-Bande said.
He said that the UN system had supported Nigeria in dealing with the regional problem of Boko Haram and it was glad to see that by all accounts, light was at the end of the tunnel.
He praised Nigeria for leading other countries in the region to come together and look beyond the support of the UN system to the humanitarian phase of the problem.
The UNGA President said that staying the course in support of multilateralism was also a key element and an urgent matter for the world.
“I commend as others have done so, the efforts of Nigeria in being a positive force in West Africa, in Africa and globally,” Muhammad-Bande added.
Speaking earlier, Onyeama pledged Nigeria’s support to Muhammad-Bande in his official mandate as President of the UNGA, saying that his vision was in tandem with the priorities of the government.
Onyeama expressed appreciation for UN’s support and assistance to Nigeria through its several organisations operating in the country.
“The government and the country will stand/stands solidly behind you and we will do everything to ensure that your mandate is successful.
“It is a very important mandate because you are managing the most important multilateral organisation in the world – an organisation that plays a truly important role in global affairs and an organisation that houses almost all the countries of the world.
“It really is a major responsibility and we and all countries of the world must support you because global peace is absolutely crucial in the world today.
“A world that faces so many challenges and your vision for your mandate addresses all those challenges.
“You have put forward as your programme for the year quality education. That is absolutely key and a major priority for us in Nigeria, and I would say indeed the global front.
“Peace and security is a prerequisite for a prosperous world, climate action and inclusion, poverty eradication, and zero hunger.
“Your vision is one that this country and this government identify with, and it also responds to our priorities as a government.
“So, we will work hand-in-hand with you to achieve those goals,’’ Onyeama said.
Muhammad-Bande is in Nigeria on a five-day visit which is his first as the 74th President of the UNGA.
In the course of his visit, he would participate in the meeting of the Stakeholder Group on Ageing Africa (SGA Africa). (NAN)
