UN General Assembly
2016

On behalf of the Government and the people of Trinidad and Tobago, I wish to express our deepest appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, whose term as the eighth Secretary-General comes to a close at the end of this year. Mr. Ban has initiated many sweeping changes and reforms at the Secretariat designed to make the Organization an ever more dynamic body capable of responding to the emerging needs and challenges facing its diverse membership. At a time of escalating international terrorism and the increasingly urgent need for decisive action on climate change, as well as of criticisms of the efficacy of the United Nations and its peacekeeping operations, his outstanding efforts and leadership have been instrumental in shaping the future of multilateralism. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement are just two examples of an exceptional record of achievements, not to mention his groundbreaking initiative earlier this year to convene the first ever World Humanitarian Summit, in collaboration with the Government of Turkey, in the beautiful city of Istanbul.