NEW YORK, JUNE 7 – A veteran Hungarian diplomat was appointed President of the forthcoming session of the UN General Assembly during an official ceremony in New York on Tuesday. Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi, Director of Environmental Sustainability at the Office of the President of Hungary, will lead the UN’s chief deliberative and policymaking body, starting in September.
Kőrösi was elected by acclamation by the General Assembly, which comprises all 193 UN Member States. He vowed to make ‘Solutions through Solidarity, Sustainability and Science’ the motto for its 77th session. Italy and the European Union, as well as the Secretary General Antonio Guterres, offered their congratulations to the newly President-elect.
The current General Assembly President, Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives, expressed readiness to fully support his successor, adding that engagement towards a smooth transition has already begun. He commended Mr. Kőrösi’s nearly 40 years in diplomacy, including serving as Hungary’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York and, more recently, his tenure as Deputy State Secretary responsible for security policy, multilateral diplomacy and human rights.
In his acceptance speech, Kőrösi highlighted the “ominous challenges” facing countries, including food and energy shortages, but also debt, the climate emergency, biodiversity loss, and urgent humanitarian and protection needs. Together with the war in Ukraine, and other armed conflicts, they create a “perfect storm” and unprecedented instability for the years to come, he warned.
“By electing me, you have reconfirmed the assessment that the geopolitical risks and those stemming from the unsustainable way of our development, have started to merge and reinforce each other,” he said.
“Therefore, we should seek integrated solutions to the systemic challenges. There is no way back to the old normal. The only way out of our current predicament is through continued reforms and transformation of this Organization and strengthening our cooperation. We must do much better in delivering on our jointly agreed goals, commitments and pledges.” (@OnuItalia)
