UN General Assembly
2014

At the outset, I should like to extend my warmest congratulations to Mr. Sam Kutesa on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I am confident that under his able leadership this session will enjoy great success. My appreciation also goes to Mr. John William Ashe, President at the sixty-eighth session, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for their important contributions to the work of our Organization over the past year. This session of the General Assembly takes place as we approach the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. It gives us the opportunity to look back on the past almost 70 years of the United Nations implementing its mandate to assist nations to build a world of peace, security and sustainable development, a world where fundamental rights and freedoms are respected and promoted. It is also an opportunity for in-depth discussions on the formulation and implementation of the post-2015 development agenda. This year’s Assembly session is also convened against the backdrop of a world landscape that features