International community must come together to assist Afghan people: UNGA president-elect

The international community must work together to help the people of Afghanistan realize their aspirations, the president-elect of UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid said Friday, amid growing global concern about the deteriorating security situation in the conflict-torn country. Shahid, the foreign minister of the Maldives, also said at a leading think tank that United Nation has a “very clear role” in Afghanistan because maintaining international peace and security is the duty of United Nations Security Council.

The Maldives leader arrived in India on Wednesday for a three-day visit. India was the first country that Shahid visited as the official president-elect of UN General Assembly after he was elected to office on June 7.

“The people of Afghanistan are resilient people. Their leadership is very strong, their government is a democratic government elected by the people,” he said at an interactive session at the World Affairs Council. world of India.

Shahid added: “I think the international community needs to work together and support the Afghan people in whatever way they desire so that they can get on the path forward that their government has outlined.

The Taliban have made rapid strides across Afghanistan over the past few weeks, gaining control of large swas of the country as the US withdraws most of its forces and aims to complete the withdrawal by 31. August.

In his speech, Shahid said his immediate priority as president of the UN General Assembly will be to focus on helping the world recover from COVID-19.

“The impacts are huge, however, this pandemic seems far from over. New variants are emerging. And we’re still unclear about the longer-term health consequences. Consortium.” The country can and must do more to address this problem,” he said.

“Building on existing initiatives and approaches, I will seek to address the health of our people and our economy. And work to ensure vaccine equity. We need to vaccinate the world. No one is safe until everyone is safe,” the Maldivian expatriate added.

At the same time, he said the coronavirus pandemic has yet to replace the challenges of climate change, ocean health, desertification and land degradation as well as biodiversity loss.

“In fact, it (COVID-19) has limited scope to address these challenges, as limited resources have been diverted towards the pandemic. But the impacts of climate change are increasing day by day,” he said. It just got worse.”

Shahid said that it is equally important to address people’s needs in different sectors.

He added: “Especially because humanity, human rights, has stepped back in this pandemic – as more and more people live through the lockdowns and extreme measures that have had to be taken around the world. .

NS UNGA The president-elect also called for the participation of young people in decision-making that affects their future, noting that gender equality will be his priority.

“When considering the role of the United Nations in solving global problems, we need to consider the strength of the United Nations. I believe that the strength of the United Nations lies in its ability to shape standards,” he said. , change discourse, create consensus,” he said.

Shahid also believes that trust can be built by bringing the UN closer to the people.

He said: “By increasing its effectiveness. By making the United Nations deliver. For people, for the planet and for prosperity,” he said.

“The COVID-19 pandemic could plunge the world into crisis. But I believe it can also be an opportunity. To build a stronger, more resilient world. A more sustainable world. This can be an opportunity to enhance multilateralism, strengthen cooperation,” he said.