UN General Assembly
2020

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, Mr President, Mr Secretary General, Your Excellencies: These are indeed extraordinary times in our history and in the history of the United Nations, when we find ourselves meeting virtually for the first time in the UN’s 75 years, as our world continues to grapple with COVID-19 and its far-reaching implications, and as our peoples look towards us to navigate these uncharted waters, with bold statesmanship. It is incredible how a virus that infected a single person in one corner of the globe, has grown and expanded to hit the very foundations of our international system, our global economy, all of humanity. It would be equally incredible if the lesson of just how interconnected we really are, is lost on us. We cannot beat this virus by turning inwards. It does not stop at borders, and nor should our cooperation.