New president of UN General Assembly calls for unity to tackle borderless issues
Cameroon’s former prime minister has taken over the presidency of the U.N. General Assembly and called for nations to unite and to address global challenges from climate change and poverty to conflicts and armed violence
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Cameroon’s former prime minister took over the presidency of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, issuing “a clarion call” to the world’s divided nations to come together and take action to address global challenges from climate change and poverty to conflicts and armed violence.
Philemon Yang told the 193-member world body there are doubts that nations can join forces to tackle these and other pressing issues. But he said: “We must demonstrate that international cooperation remains the most effective tool at our disposal for addressing the profound and borderless issues we confront.”
Yang, a former diplomat who was prime minister of his West African nation from 2009 to 2019, said the cornerstone of his one-year presidency “will be built on the principles of unity in diversity.”
He said peace and security will continue to be “of paramount importance” during his presidency.
