UN General Assembly concludes General Debate

This year's General Debate of the UN General Assembly concluded on Monday after representatives of 192 countries spoke at the green marble podium around the theme of "Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion."

In his closing remarks, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, the president of the current session of the UN General Assembly, said he was impressed by calls for multilateralism and for climate action.

As he listened to speakers, he found the distinct impression that far from being an outmoded principle, multilateral cooperation remains an accepted method of managing relations among nations, Muhammad-Bande said.

The participation of so many world leaders, along with the quality of their engagement at the General Debate, serves as indisputable evidence of the strength of multilateralism, he said.

"It is perfectly legitimate to raise questions about the essence of and the need for multilateralism. All the same, even when we disagree on how the world should be organized to respond to or anticipate mounting challenges, we shall eventually come to a common cause on the need for a rules-based international order," he said.

In a highly polarized world, multilateralism is the only guarantee of peace, security and sustainable development, said Muhammad-Bande. "The world will not survive for long unless we cultivate the give-and-take spirit, which is a distinct and defining attribute of multilateralism."

Active participation in the General Debate by 192 of the 193 member states is the clearest indication of the acknowledgment of the interdependence between and among nations, the president said.

Uzbekistan was the only member state that did not speak at this year's General Debate.