Macky Sall - Interactive dialogue for the position of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations

It's. Good afternoon. Welcome back to everyone. Please take your seat. I call to order the informal meeting to conduct an interactive dialogue with Mr. Maky Sall, a candidate for the position of the United Nations Secretary General. The interactive dialogues mark a critical step in the selection and appointment process for the next Secretary General, while also coming at a pivotal moment for the United Nations. The person we select will be more than the face of this institution. Our choice will send a powerful message about who we are and whether we truly serve all 8 billion people of the world in all their diversity. The multilateral system, with the United nations at its center, is under unprecedented political and financial pressure. From a deepening liquidity crisis to fundamental principles of the UN Charter being put into question, the next Secretary General will be entrusted not only with navigating these challenges, but also with advancing essential reforms to ensure the United nations is fit for the future. At the same time, the world needs the United nations more than ever, and it needs a Secretary General who can provide strong, principled and effective leadership across all three peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. These interactive dialogues, which I convene in line with General Assembly Resolution 79, Thrust 327, offer unique opportunity for candidates to present their vision for the future of this organization and for Member States and civil society to ask questions and interact directly with candidates. The interactive dialogues are essential to ensuring a transparent and inclusive selection and appointment process while underlining the important role of the General Assembly. I therefore encourage each of you to make full use of this opportunity and thank all candidates for their active participation, Member States and civil society for their questions and engagement. But these dialogues do not end in this Chamber. They are also an opportunity for people around the world, the very people the United nations serves to listen, to engage, and to hold this process to the highest standards. For this decision does not only concern a few, but all of us in and outside the United nations, who look at this institution to reflect the principles and values it champions. While we will hear the candidates individually, as I said before, a town hall format will follow later in the process, as reflected in my letters dated March 4 and April 15, 2026, the dialogue will begin with an introduction by the candidate of their vision and priorities for up to 10 minutes, followed by an interactive exchange. Each interactive dialogue will last up to three hours. The Interactive exchange will take place in two segments. As we have done before, we will begin with a one and a half hour discussion focused on leadership abilities, experience and skills needed to lead a strong organization that is fit for the future. Following this, we will move into the second segment which will focus on the three pillars of the United Nations. Peace and security, development and human rights. In line with revitalization resolution, civil society representatives will be invited to pose question in each of the two thematic segments. Before proceeding to hear the presentation of the vision of the candidate. I would like to inform members on how to prescribe to speak in the two thematic segments. Delegations wishing to speak can register their wish to speak by pressing the microphone button. Please do not press the microphone button yet. I will announce when delegations will be asked to press the microphone button. At the beginning of the first segment, members that speaking on behalf of groups are invited to approach a list of speakers tables and will be given priority. Delegations can only speak once in each segment, whether on behalf of a group or on national capacity. Priority will be given afterwards to the delegations that did not have an opportunity to speak during the first segment. I would like to now invite Mr. Macky Sal to present his vision. Please, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Madam President. Madam President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, representatives of member States, international organizations and civil society. I thank you, Madam President, for organizing this important public dialogue on the appointment of the next Secretary General. I respectfully salute the other candidates for the post. Let me begin by sharing my key messages. As a bridge builder. Secretary General, I want to restore trust in the United nations so that it will deliver once more for all. As we hold this dialogue, the world continues to face multiple challenges. Intensifying geopolitical rivalries, violent conflicts, climate vulnerabilities, and growing economic and social fragilities and migration. The crises we face are not cyclical. They are systemic, both in scale and severity.

Madame Lapree, Madam President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. At the same time, unprecedented possibilities are opening up to humanity with the progress, amazing progress of technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. If it's governed with wisdom, the technological revolution can be a formidable accelerator of progress in the service of humanity. Given the urgency of the challenges we face, face and the promise of opportunities, multilateralism remains the indispensable framework for our joint ambitions to safeguard international peace and security, to protect human rights, to promote development and to promote cooperation between peoples. That is the spirit in which I submit my candidacy to Member States. What I would like to bring to the organization is my experience spanning more than 40 years of public office, from the bottom rungs of the ladder to the highest office of State. As a junior civil servant, a National Director, a mayor, Minister, Prime Minister, President of the national assembly and Head of State of the Republic for 12 years now, what I would like to bring to the organization is a tradition of exchanges over several years with the majority of leaders represented by you here, leaders in Africa, in the G7 and the G20, and in other bilateral and multilateral frameworks. Throughout all of this, I have learned to engage in dialogue, to listen to ask questions. I have learned to conduct, carry out reforms, to decide which priorities to take first and sometimes take difficult decisions. I think in all humility, that during these difficult times for the organization, the tests that I have experienced in power have prepared me to understand the expectations of Member States and to act in order to respond to them effectively. Ladies and gentlemen, if I'm given the honor of serving as Secretary General, my first priority will be to contribute to restoring trust, to calm tensions, reduce fragmentation and breathe renewed hope into our collective action. As is stated in the United Nations Charter. I will be a impartial Secretary General speaking on everyone's behalf, and a Secretary General that listens to everyone. I will be a Secretary General that unites, a Secretary General that builds bridges between nations, between cultures and civilizations, between east and west and between north and South. I, without delay, will engage in preventive diplomacy that is more active in terms of early warning, mediation and cooperation between the United nations and regional organizations. And I would particularly stress that with regional organizations and with Member States, I would think deeply about the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations. I would also work to maintain human rights at the heart of the UN agenda. We all know that human rights are universal. They are inseparable, one from the other. They are civilian and they are political. They are also economic, social and cultural. The Charter calls upon us to protect them on the basis of fundamental principles which enshrine the primacy of law and the need for justice. Also, four years away from the final assessment of Agenda 2030, I will ensure the proper implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and also the drawing up of the agenda for post2030 together with Member States. On this day, 22 April, Earth Day, we are reminded of the urgency of environmental threats facing our planet. The weight of debt has become insufferable for a number of countries, inequalities are getting deeper, first of all affecting the most vulnerable, particularly young people and women. Indeed, cooperation for development is as useful as it ever was. But my experience at the head of a developing country has taught me that public financing remains insufficient and is difficult to mobilize, particularly when it comes to infrastructure and development. But without structural investment, there can be no economic transformation or major creation of employment. That is why I am proposing financing for development that be more driven by partnership, investment and trade that are supported by better access to credit in order to support shared growth and prosperity. The Forum on Financing for Development, which meets every year in New York and brings together the un, the Bretton woods institutions, the wto, UNCTAD and the private sector could bring together be a catalyser here with the support of the OECD and partner countries. Ladies and gentlemen, by creating the conditions for a better life for everyone, we will at the same time reduce the sources of irregular migration. Madam President, with regard to the organization, I am convinced that it can and it must change. If I am elected. I will continue the reform efforts with transparent and rigorous management. And three imperative actions will guide my course of action. Rationalize, simplify and optimize. I will ensure better coordination between agencies, funds and programs, avoid duplication of effort and make the action of the organization better adapted to the realities on the ground. Every area of expenditure must respond to the efforts and expectations of Member states. To change the United nations also means reforming the Security Council on a consensual basis. Something which will reinforce legitimacy, the authority and effectiveness of its action. And I will accompany Member States in the process underway. And I will give the best of myself to bring about an organization that is reconciled with these principles. A revitalized organization that is able to see that its brightest days are ahead of it.

A crossroads. A crossroads between a world of divided nations or a world of United Nations. Trust is built through consistency, fairness and results. I want to lead a United nations that uses its resources wisely and its voice responsibly. A United nations that delivers results that governments can defend before their citizens. Now is the time to take bold decision with all member states. Now is the time to do better with less. Now is the time to realize the full potential of the United Nations. Now is the time. This is how the United nations will remain relevant. This is how it will regain trust. The choice is ours. We are stronger when we stand together. If elected, I will work with all member states to renew our common purpose in the spirit of the Charter and together build a better world for us. For all. I thank you, Mother.

I thank Mr. Seoul. We now proceed to the first segment. Delegations wishing to speak in the first segment are invited to press a microphone Button. Now members are reminded that they are encouraged to ask short and focused questions. Intervention should be not more than two minutes for delegations speaking in national capacity and not more than three minutes for delegations speaking on behalf of the Group of Member States. Time limits will be strictly enforced by automatic microphone cutoff. A timer will be projected on screen to assist speakers to observe the time limit. Their microphone will start blinking 30 seconds before the time limit elapses, as indicated in my letter. After each intervention, the candidate will be given the floor to respond. The response should not be more than two minutes for questions from delegation speaker speaking in national capacity and not more than three minutes from delegations speaking on behalf of a group of Member States. I will remind candidates on their time limits. Civil society questions will be interspersed with questions from Member States as before, as mentioned before. As well, we will now focus on leadership abilities, experience and skills needed to lead a strong organization that is fit for the future. As a first speaker, I will give the floor to the distinguished representative of Singapore on behalf of the Small States Group.

Thank you very much, Madam President. I have the honor indeed to deliver this statement on behalf of the Small States Group, which is a cross regional grouping of small states comprising both developed and developing countries. And more than 50 small states have aligned with this statement. And the full list of countries will be made available after this meeting. And we extend a very warm welcome to Monsieur Macky Sal. Madam President. Monsieur Macky Sal. We are living in a volatile and dangerous period in international relations characterized by geopolitical tension and conflict. And for small states, an effective multilateral system founded on the principles of the UN Charter and international law is not an option, but an existential necessity. The next Secretary General will play a critical role not only in defending the UN Charter, but also in reinvigorating and reshaping the role and relevance of the United Nations. We look to the Secretary General to to safeguard the interests of all member states, especially the interests of the smallest, weakest and most vulnerable members of the un.

We do not want a world of

might is right where international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of small states are violated with impunity.

The members of the Small State Group

stand ready to work with the next Secretary General and all member states to strengthen the role of the UN and to defend international law and multilateralism in the interest of brevity. Please allow me to go directly to the questions. First, Monsieur Macky Sal, what steps will you take to strengthen the role of the General assembly, especially at a time when the Security Council has been unable to take decisive action. And a related question.

How will you, if you are elected

Secretary General, support and strengthen the office of the President of the General assembly? Secondly, the SDGs and the pact for the Future are landmark outcome documents and they provide a roadmap for global action and partnership. How will you, if elected Secretary General, accelerate the implementation of the SDGS and the Pact for the Future? Thirdly, we are at a critical moment when public perception of of the United nations seems to have become critical and even cynical in many countries. How do you plan to galvanize support for the work of the United nations, especially among younger people who represent the future in all our societies? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Singapore on behalf of the Small States Group before giving the floor to Mr. Speaker Sal. The next speakers will be Ukraine and the European Union. Please. Mr.

Thank you, madam President. Thank you. Also Chair of Singapore, I want to thank the Small States Group, which is a very important group. My conviction is we are talking about United Nations. Whatever the size of the nation is, we don't have any small state or big state. We can have big countries or small countries. So it is very important in my point of view to take in consideration what these small states are facing in terms of respect of the rule of law and also the respect of the resolution the Security Council and even the General assembly are taking.

So I'd just like to confirm the importance that I attach to all member States, be they big or small countries. What's specific to the UN is to bring together all of these countries, small states, with big states, and that have the same rights, certainly in the General assembly. Although we know that the Charter itself, since the organization was created, gave special rights to permanent members of the Security Council. But as Secretary General, if I gain the confidence of Member States, I will ensure that small states, small island states, landlocked countries, will also be able to see their interests reflected in major policy with regard to strengthening and the importance of the General assembly and the Office of the President of the General Assembly. Well, every letter of the Charter must be mobilized to ensure that those that embody the power of the General assembly are able to work under the best conditions possible. And with regard to the SDGs, the Sustainable Development Goals as well as the Pact for the Future, which has already staked out the path for us. Since the year 2000, we have been discussing the Millennium Development Goals. And then in 2015, we saw that we were a long way away from our goals and we needed to relaunch the Sustainable Development Goals and change the way in which development was funded. Because for the Millennium Development Goals, we saw that we weren't making enough progress with the SDGs. We expanded the situation and focused on the efforts of countries themselves, their domestic efforts. But also we asked for greater involvement of private financing and to fight against tax evasion so that we could meet these goals. It's now clear that for years away from 2030, we are in agreement on some goals and not others. We've made progress in certain areas, not others. And this also leads me on to talk about the new financial architecture, so that after 2030 we can have a new agenda, taking into account the inclusion of the private sector and also mitigation of risk with regard to developing countries. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ukraine on behalf of the Lublin Triangle Group, followed by the European Union and Uruguay.

Thank you, Madam President. And thank you, Mr. Sall, for presenting your vision. Allow me to take the floor on behalf of Lublin Triangle Group of States, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine with the following question. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has produced documented patterns of atrocity crimes, deportation of children, attacks on civilian infrastructure, arbitrary detention. Existing UN mechanism have proven unable to compel accountability. What is your vision for strengthening coordination between the Security Council, the ICC and Fact Finding Mechanism to ensure that impunity does not become the default outcome? How should the UN strengthen cooperation with existing international and national investigative mechanism to support the impartial documentation, preservation and verification of evidence of war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine? And what role should the Secretary General's good offices play when a permanent member of the Security Council is the alleged perpetrator? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ukraine on behalf of the Lublin triangle group. Please, Mr. Sall, you have the floor.

Thank you. Thank you very much. I thank also the presentant of Ukraine and the group he represents. This conflict now start since four years and I myself try during my presidency of AU to do my best. And I visited Kiev with six other head of state from Africa. I visited also Sochi first in June 2022 on behalf of AU. We know it is very difficult when the permanent members of the Security Council are involved in a conflict. Of course we know that.

But I would like to say here, distinguished representative of Ukraine. In my view, everything should be done to make sure that this conflict does not any further. And we have to continue with the efforts for peace. If I am elected Secretary General, I will continue with my work guided by the same spirit I displayed in SOCHI and in Kiev. Namely to talk to all parties to support any and all peace initiatives underway, to encourage them to promote dialogue as well with the parties, but also the European countries who are of course involved because of their geography and to accompany the efforts already undertaken by President Trump as we are searching for solutions now. A member of Security Council, permanent member of Security Council's involvement. Well, this is very difficult for the organization because every permanent member has a veto power. So you cannot pass a binding resolution against that member because they will veto it. So this is a generalized problem that we are having with this organization. And I think that the only way of avoiding the blockage in the Council is to continue thinking, first of all at the level of Security Council about that, talk to various members, in particular with the permanent members, but also within the General Assembly. This debate has to be a member states debate. So on the issues of major human rights issues or war issues, whenever there is a conflict, that the right to veto should be avoided and that thus we could go towards a resolution of conflict.

It's not endorsement, but it is how peace becomes possible.

So it's a good officer's role strengthening international mechanisms. And I'm thinking of when it comes to conflict areas. I thank you.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union on behalf of the EU and its member states, followed by Uruguay and the first civil society organization.

Thank you, Madam President, and a Warm welcome to Mr. Salle. The European Union's member states are leading financial, political and operational supporters of the United nations in multilateralism, ensuring the UN can continue delivering on all its mandates, especially in this time of acute crises. As such, we are deeply invested in the UN Charter, international law and the UN success on the ground. And we fully expect to be working closely with the Secretary General who shares these principles and values and who has a clear appreciation of the EU's role in the UN system. At this time, the UN needs six a general that is fully prepared to defend and promote with equal vigor all three UN pillars and full respect for the UN Charter international law. Yesterday we raised questions of the candidates on sustainable development and UN reform. Today we are raising questions on human rights and and on peace and security. On human rights, we remain firmly committed to the universality and indivisibility, while noting with concern that only 1% of the UN system spending is dedicated to human rights mandates at a time that human rights are increasingly attacked. Mr. Sal, may I ask you, if you can offer from your personal experience a concrete example where you have seen the promotion of human rights directly supports sustainable development of peace and security, or if you've seen the violation of human rights directly undermine sustainable development at peace of security. May I also ask you what you plan to do to sustain the funding and increase it for human rights? Because of course, when you cut on only 1%, that is devastating for that particular activity on peace and security. The EU and its member states are actively advancing the implementation of key UN mandates through our security and defense missions, whether it is Irini or Althea, whether it is supporting peacekeeping in Somalia or in Lebanon, or whether it is through a massive humanitarian aid around the world. Now, can you please provide an example of a major conflict today that you would prioritize? You said in your statement very correctly that you have to make top priority choices where you believe that you could personally get engaged as Secretary General through any mediation steps and other concrete actions to help bring it to an end. In other words, can you concretely suggest a case in which you might be able to make a real difference? Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union on behalf of the EU and its member states. Please. Mr. Sall,

thank you very much. Thank you. Representative of the European Union, I would like to welcome the role played by the European Union in financing for development. I saw with my own eyes all of what they developments of this action by the EU through various initiatives via global getaway. But also what the European Union is doing in funding peace operations. I thought it merited being underscored. I agree with you that 1% only on human rights, when we know that there are three main pillars. Well, there is an imbalance perhaps. And in. When I took a look at the budget distribution, I noticed that since we are in the process, the UN is in the process of reform. Well, a cut is inevitable because the organization is going through unprecedented crisis. It was recalled by the Secretary General, risk of bankruptcy. So reform is inevitable. And once you start thinking and discussing this with member states, well, the organization will see what specific reform measures need to be undertaken so as to avoid wastage duplication, overlapping mandates and to reform working methods. And on that basis, significant resources can be re affected to human rights which are indivisible. And I would pay special attention to this. It is true that promoting human rights can only be beneficial to countries. So from this viewpoint, we as an organization, as an intergovernmental organization, should also work with various actors. Yesterday or the day before yesterday, I had a meeting with a major civil society organization working on the new basis, making sure that at least on the ground action states actions be complemented as much as possible and at the same time, very clear agreements and roles distributed.

Now,

on the issue of conflicts, there are so many. There is no conflict that's more important than others. But today the news tell us that what is urgent today is resolving the conflict between the United States, Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran. So I welcome the extension of the delay for ceasefire that was extended. And we also have to make sure that the United nations also participate in the. In the search for the end to the conflict by protecting, in protecting countries in the region, nuclear safety and security, and working on the Middle east also, where we have a conflict that lasted for several decades between Israel and Palestine, Lebanon, all of these are urgent concerns. And I'm not, of course, forgetting the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, nor am I forgetting the conflict in Sudan, which is the most deadly right now, where we have the greatest number of victims, people who are being displaced, and where humanitarian action is the greatest urgency for the world. So very serious diplomatic work needs to be done in all areas of conflict. I thank you.

Merci. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of all on behalf of the group of 77 and China, followed by the Civil Society Organization and Peru. Merci, monsieur. The group of 77 and China attaches great importance to the selection and appointment of the Secretary General and reaffirms the need to ensure that this process remains open, transparent and inclusive in accordance with the relevant General assembly resolutions. First, with reference to the UNAID initiative introduced by Secretary General Antonio Guterres, what is your assessment of the proposal and how do you believe it could advance a United nations that is more effective, efficient and delivers greater impact on the ground? How would you ensure that any related reforms fully respecting the governmental nature of the United nations, preserve the balance among its three pillars and do not come at the expense of development mandates or other priorities of developing countries? Second, with the 2030 deadline fast approaching, how would you ensure the full and timely implementation of the agenda for sustainable development, bearing in mind the universality and indivisibility of the goals and targets, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and the commitment to leave no one behind? Specifically, how do you envisage the role of the Secretary General and the UN Secretary Secretariat in advancing this objective? Third, if you were appointed as Secretary General, how would you ensure equal and fair distribution based on gender and geographical balance as prescribed by Article 101 of the Charter and the relevant General assembly resolutions, particularly in terms of the overall increase in the representation of unrepresented and underrepresented countries, especially from developing countries at the senior level, appointments within the UN Secretariat and the broader UN system.

4.

At a time of shrinking fiscal space, declining ODA, rising debt burdens and widening development gaps, how would you, as Secretary General, mobilize the United nations system to defend and advance the development pillar, accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda and support financing for development in a manner fully responsible, responsive to the priorities of developing countries? Fifth, in light of the Organization's persistent liquidity crisis, including warnings of a potential rise to bankruptcy, what concrete measures would you as Secretary General undertake to promote compliance with Member States financial obligations, ensuring that assessed contributions are paid in full, on time and without conditions? Finally, the group of 77 and China underscores the importance of of safeguarding the full independence, impartiality and institutional integrity of the Secretariat while ensuring that it provides equitable and effective support to all Member States representations in the discharge of their responsibilities. Thank you so much. I thank the distinguished representative of Uruguay on behalf of the group of 77 and China. Please. Mr.

I thank the President of Uruguay who spoke on behalf of G77 in China. She put several very important questions to me. I have three minutes to respond. But let me assure you that if I have the trust of Member States, the Secretary General that I will be will do his utmost to first restore trust because it restoring that trust that will determine the possibility to mobilize the financial obligation of Member States. Of course, some States think that there is not enough of reform within the system. So very quickly we will show what the system can do to improve its management, to avoid duplication. But our efforts will not be limited to that. Countries would have to honor their commitments when they come to contributions. Once we have an open book and we see very clearly what the Organization can do better in terms of streamlining and optimizing, then we can through dissuasion and negotiations, bring various members to to make sure that the contributions are there. Of course we have many challenges and we'll probably have to think together with Member States about that because the in depth discussion should be about what is it that we are ready to do together, how far can we go together and how so if we have this discussion, then I think the Secretariat will do what is its duty, namely to reform, to involve everyone, to respect the geographical distribution, as you mentioned, and the charter in Article 101 defines that very clearly. So we will have to take into account geographical distribution in the hiring of staff, in particular high level posts within the Secretariat. This is something that will be done in a very equitable manner. So similarly, on the independence of the Secretary General or the Secretariat. Well, the Article 100 of the Charter states very clearly that the Secretary General is not beholden to any Member State. And I was lucky enough to have been President of the Republic for the 12 years and the last 14 years. I was attending the G7 and G20 meetings and had exchanges with all of the leaders of the groups, those who are permanent members of the Security Council and other leaders who are not members of Security Council. And there are no borders for me. I've always been open to dialogue. I've always been open to cooperation with, with the west and with the east, with the north and with the South. And I think that this attitude will continue. I will be a neutral and independent Secretary General whose sole mission will be to support its maximum support to the organization, to its credibility, to make sure that we can build bridges and make sure that the difficult issues are tackled with confidence and trust. That's what I wanted to say on the agenda. Well, we're going to continue working on post 2030 agenda. The GA has already shown that the Packet for the future does provide certain indicators, but together with you Member States, we will see what we'll need to do after 2030. Thank you.

Ms. C. I now give the floor to the first civil society organization and invite the representative of Girls in Diplomacy Institute. Please, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. Excellency, Mr. Makisol, the next Secretary General inherits an institution designed for mid 20th century geopolitics now operating in a radically transformed landscape. What concrete measures would you implement to strengthen the diplomatic capacity of resource constrained member states to ensure equitable participation in multilateral negotiations within the United Nations. I thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of the CSO Girls in Diplomacy Institute. Please. Mr.

I think the civil society is very important for, for the organization. We need to define a new paradigm with the member states and to see what civil society can do better in the field, particularly on the field of peace and security and on humanitarian action. I think we can really work together closely on the trust balance, on transparency. This is what I can tell you. This new paradigm will be defined with of course the Secretariat, but using also some reflection many member States have about the action. And I said yesterday to civil society, we need also very independent civil society and I'm ready to work with you clearly following of course the charter and following what is allowed on our organization. But I think we can do more with civil society and I will be ready to work on that way with you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Peru on behalf of the Accountability Coherence and Transparency Group, followed by Norway and Uganda.

Merci. Merci aux President Macy Sal.

Thank you to President Macky Sal for your briefing.

The Accountability Coherence and Transparency Group, or in short, ACT Cross Regional Group, comprised of 27 small and mid sized countries, committed to a transparent and accountable UN and seeking to improve the working methods of of the Security Council. First, the selection and appointment process for the Secretary General is fundamentally a joint process between the Security Council and the General Assembly. But it is not the only area where they have a complementary mandate. How do you see the role of the General assembly in the maintenance of international peace and security? Second, a major power conflict erupts and the Security Council is deadlocked. Walk us through your first 72 hours. Who do you call, what authority do you invoke and what outcome are you aiming for? Third, in your vision statement, you state that as Secretary General, you aim to forge an integrated vision of peace, security, development and shared prosperity. That vision covers two of the three pillars of the un, Peace and security and development. The third pillar of the un, human rights, is missing from this vision. What is your position on upholding the human rights pillar of the un? What specific reforms or strategies would you pursue to strengthen the UN's human rights pillar?

I see. Now I have a couple of minutes to put a question. As representative of Peru, I wanted to know your position on multilingualism, particularly the use of Spanish in the work of the United Nations. And in that context, how is your Spanish?

Muchas gracias. To the distinguished representative of Peru on behalf of the ACT group, please, Mr. Sal.

Muchas gracias. Parla le espanol. I'm sorry.

So let me start by this question, which is an essential one. Lingualism is an asset and we have to do everything to safeguard it. We have six official languages and we need to be using these languages in our work. We have two working languages, English and French. I know that the English speakers don't always feel the need to learn other languages, but we need to promote multilingualism within the organization. As Secretary General, I would work also with artificial intelligence to make sure that not just the six official languages really used easily, but also all other languages also come into play to make sure that the issues of translation are no longer a difficulty. Of course, I am not saying that we do not need interpreters, not at all. We need them. But there is a way of promoting languages and also Languages, because languages is a vehicle for culture and civilization. So this is a huge asset. I am very much an advocate of multilingualism. I only know two international languages, but I speak many more. I am learning Arabic, but I also speak national African languages. So this is a huge source of wealth and an asset that we need to develop. Now, on the questions that you put on the part of 27 countries, small countries, on the selection and appointment, well, there we have. The Charter tells us that the General assembly elects the Secretary General upon the proposal coming from the Security Council. So each entity has a role to play. The General assembly will have the last word, but of course the Council will come up with a proposal. I think that. Well, now what we have is things developing. It used to be that a person would be chosen within the Security Council, but now we can see that there is progress, there is democratization of that process. Now, as regards the vision that I mentioned, the integrated vision of peace and development and prosperity. Well, development cannot happen within peace. In those countries where there's war, we cannot be talking about development there. You are talking about the people who are dead, displaced and refugees. There is no longer development or education. So these two issues cannot be tackled separately. So even for peace operation, for peacekeeping operation, I think that the dimension, the economic dimension be integrated in that, because where there is no development, where there is no prospect, it's obvious it will be difficult to talk about peace. Peace alone is not enough, of course, if there are no efforts behind it. So you need to combine the two. And I think already there is an effort being made by the United Nations. But we need to go further on this economic dimension which need to accompany peacekeeping or restoring peace on human rights. They're perfectly within the pillar, because I did say that we have three pillars in the United Nations Charter and I did already say that the reforms that will take place will help us strengthen our work in the area of human rights. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Norway on behalf of the UNEDI Global Group, followed by Uganda and the Philippines. Thank you, Madam President.

Well, after the last question, maybe we should try multilingualism. Thank you very much, Monsieur Sal, for presenting to us your vision and for participating in this interactive process.

The UNHE Global Group, together with Barbados, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, New Zealand, Mexico, Senegal and Singapore. Building on the initiative of a similar cross regional grouping during the UN's 70th session, we also intend to develop ideas and recommendations for, for the next UN

Secretary General, whoever that may be, on the future of the organization. We therefore appreciate and thank you, President

for facilitating this opportunity to engage with all the candidates.

Now to the question, if selected as

Secretary General, what will you do to meaningfully restore trust between the Secretariat and Member States? You have alluded to this, but also the Executive Office and the rest of the system and indeed global confidence in the un. And I think I also have a few seconds to ask a national question.

And we believe that the Secretary General

should exercise independence in the selection of senior officials. So if again elected, how would you

build up your team?

What will you do to safeguard your independence? How would you take into account factors

such as geography and gender balance in addition to merit in those appointments?

And how would you avoid the continuation of monopolies on senior posts by certain nationalities? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Norway on behalf of the UNAD Global Group. Please.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Madame la Representant Executive, La Norvaiche. Merci pour vote.

I think distinguished representative of Norway, thank you for a very important question on behalf of the group that you're representing on restoring confidence and trust. I think that this is something that will be done because each Member States will see that the Secretary General is neither in the west or in the east camp or on behalf, acting on behalf of the Global south or Global North. It's very important independence. I think it's a very basis to be able to be accepted. And I want everyone to know that what motivates me is to move the organization forward. I'm not here to move forward in my diplomatic career. I am here for the next five years to move this organization forward and reform it. And I do know that if I have the trust of Member States, I have the capacity to do that. And, and this brings me to your second question. On the choice of my team. Of course there has to be equity and transparency and respect for regional rotation, gender as well. In 1945, when the charter was drafted, geographical distribution was talked about and also competency. So I can say that a Secretary General, my deputy will be a woman. I can tell you already coming from the. And I'm from the south and she will be from the North. That's how I view things. For the rest of the things, I think this will be done on the basis of an objective analysis, believe me, which you will be able to judge the Secretary General and his words. And if this Member States see that the Secretary General is on the right track, that they will be more inclined to listen to him and help him. So this is the plan to work on restoring trust. All other issues, such as, for example, contributions can find solutions. If member states are convinced that we are on the right track when finding nothing that we made internal effort, I don't think nothing will stop in the way of full participation in moving our joint organization forward. That's what I wanted to say. On the independence, on the Secretary General now on women. To Conclude now, for 12 years as President of the country, my country, I gave essentially all of the posts except mine. Post of the president, two women. I appointed a woman Prime Minister. I appointed first woman governor of a region. That's next. Head of national police was a woman first one. The first woman head of Senegalese Armed forces. The first one. I am a he for she. I am someone who will be working to promote women and women's rights not within the organization, just within the organization, but also throughout the world. It is high time for women's rights rights to be there. And I will give Senegalese women the right to give their nationality to their spouses and children, which never used to be the case in the past. So I will be someone who will definitely empower women within the organization and the world. I thank you.

I thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda on behalf of the Non Aligned Movement, followed by the Philippines and the next civil society organization.

Madam President, I speak on behalf of the member states of the Non Aligned movement who are 121 in number. We welcome the holding of this informal dialogue to exchange views with the candidate for the position of the Secretary General of the United Nations, HE Maxar. We have a few questions on Non Aligned Movement. The first one, the Non Aligned Movement reaffirms the leading role of the United nations in promoting multilateralism and international cooperation which are essential for addressing global challenges that impact the members of the movement. The Non Aligned Movement in this context. In this context, what concrete measures would you propose to further strengthen multilateralism international cooperation in light of the current erosion resulting in the area from non compliance with international obligations? Number two. The Declaration on the Right to Development was adopted by in 1986 rather by the UN. What is your position on right to development and how would you advance its implementation within the United nations system? Number three. How would you assess the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the ability of affected developing countries to achieve sustainable development and fully implement the 2030 Agenda? What concrete actions would you promote in your capacity as Secretary General to strengthen the role of the United nations in opposing such illegal measures that violate The UN Charter urging their elimination and promoting mechanisms to prevent their application. The last question later, the first one is, how do you promote a more inclusive global governance and ensure the effective consideration of the needs and priorities of developing countries? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Uganda on behalf of the Non Aligned Movement. Please.

Thank you very much. Uganda representative on the name of Non Aligned Movement.

Well, once again, I like to state here that the United nations is the only universal organization that brings together all countries. So we don't have an issue of representativity or universalism. What we do need to do, however, is make it more effective. And multilateralism really is not what's been called into question. The problem is divisions amongst ourselves and the fact that we are not able to defend and go beyond our differences. And this is why increasingly, unfortunately, we see this kind of ineffectiveness. But the Secretary General doesn't act on behalf of states themselves, but must be a moderator, a facilitator, someone who builds bridges between the various positions. And that is where I would become very much involved to ensure that there is a permanent dialogue within the Security Council, within the General assembly with you on a daily basis so that we can agree on the need to maintain multilateralism. Otherwise it's the law of the jungle or the law of the strongest. And that won't get anybody very far. So we have to work together to ensure that multilateralism, which is more important than just two countries, We need to two countries that might have signed an agreement between each other with regard to the universal, the unilateral coercive measures and that their effect on the development agenda, if I correctly understood well, 2030 is fast approaching and there is still hunger in the world. There are still very many people that don't have access to basic vital services, water, sanitation. We still have a lot of work to do, as I said just now. And that's why the Pact for the Future that was adopted in September 2024 here has laid out a roadmap, ambitious roadmap in order to adapt multilateralism to the challenges of the 21st century. And that's where we're finally going to determine the agenda post 2030 for the next 10, 20, 30 years, how we're going to finance development. And that implies the international financial architecture, for example, involvement of the private sector and reducing barriers with regard to perception of risk when it comes to developing countries, particularly African developing countries, as well as those of Latin America and Asia Pacific. I think that together we need to work all together member states. Bretton woods institutions, private sector and the credit agencies as well, they play a key role. All need to work together in order to mitigate the perception of risk so that access to credit will be easier for states. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Philippines on behalf of the like minded group on middle income countries, followed by the SCO and Mali.

Thank you Madam President and welcome.

Mr. Sall.

I'm speaking on behalf of the like minded group of the middle income countries

and I have two specific questions for you, sir.

First, I'd like to know how you think the UN support for middle income

countries can be improved.

And in this regard, one issue the

like minded group of middle income countries have been calling for is a dedicated focal point in the Secretariat. Secondly, what opportunities do you see or

what opportunities do you think could be

provided for by the ongoing UN reform processes, especially the UN 80 process, to

rethink, recalibrate and strengthen partnerships for and

with middle income countries throughout the UN system? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Philippines on behalf of the like minded group of middle income countries, please. Mr. Sal,

thank you very much to the representative of the Philippines. Your question is important because very often we tend to forget the middle income countries. They're somewhere between the big countries, if you will, in the small countries as we might call them, and they've got their own problems as well, particularly with regard to development funding. They're not always taken into account or we think that they can access private funding. But I think that it does make sense to pay attention to those countries as well, the middle income countries. Because very often you have countries where with not a great population but which have oil revenue or gas or mineral revenue, which means that. In terms of GDP per person they look rich but they're still facing development challenges. Well, I think that together with the Bretton woods institutions and the UN can pay greater attention to this category of middle income countries. I know they don't have access to IDA for example. That's a mechanism for developing countries and sometimes other financing is very expensive and we need to mitigate that risk for middle income countries as well as we do for development countries. Again, it's the whole international financial architecture that needs to change so that. Countries can create development by creating employment by improving production chains that will enable us to live in a better world that will have to face fewer waves of migration because if we can have manufacturing in countries where the raw materials are being extracted that will produce employment, everyone will be a winner then with regard to Reform, how we can strengthen. I didn't quite get that second question, I have to say. But anyway, as far as reform is concerned, I can assure you the first thing the Secretary General will do if I am entrusted with the job, is to work starting in January with the team that's carried out this reform. Mr. Ryder has done exceptional work. I know at ILO, we will work closely with all of these teams even before January to ensure that member states are informed. And any reform that doesn't have the approval of member states won't last, of course. So we will always be there with information with regard to the progress that we're making.

I thank you. I now give the floor to the next civil society organization, l' Organization d' Appui Au Jeune Operateur Economic

Organization for

to continue technical issues, we will not have video statements in this session, but as before, this question will be read out on behalf of the organization by a representative in the room. Thank you, Madam President. On behalf of the Organization de Pruis Ojon Operator Economic Polar Governance, I will

read the following question. What guarantees do you offer to ensure the necessary reforms to the governance of the world? Financial architecture which reveals a lot of

injustice and imbalance towards African countries.

My other question is with regards to debt. What guarantees do you provide so that

the cancellation of illegitimate debt is effective, especially for African and developing countries? Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Sal, the floor is yours.

Thank you very much. Madam, speaking on behalf of civil society, on behalf of young economic operators that you represent. Well, as you know, once again, the Secretary General doesn't take decisions for Member States. His role, her role is to facilitate the agenda, organize debates within the Secretariat. And the Secretary General must ensure that the problems that are raised in the General assembly and the mandates that are provided are implemented. And speaking about mandates. Well, as I. You'll know, as I do, that there have been 40,000 mandates since the Organization was created that the Security Council or the General assembly gave to the organization. 40,000. And if you were to break that down per year, it would be a phenomenal number. 4,000 or something per year, and 4,000 of them are active. So only 10% of mandates have seen some degree of commitment. But so many other mandates are just hanging there. They haven't been removed, but they haven't been implemented either. So we need to work on working methods. We can't keep producing mandates that no one is implementing. At least 80% of mandates have not been implemented. So we need to see how we can encourage Member States through other organizations. I mean, we have the un but we also have Bretton Woods. We have other multilateral organizations where we can work to get member states thinking about this. Also, debt cancellation that you mentioned. There are initiatives in that area. I, together with a number of heads of state and former heads of state, was active in an organization called adril, an initiative called Adril, which was for debt relief. And part of that debt relief can be cancellation, some can be rescheduling of the debt. It can cover a lot of things. But certainly this movement has already gotten off the ground and the issue of the debt burden really does have to be addressed. And everybody will be a winner there, particularly developing countries. So we certainly will be looking at these issues. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mali on behalf of the African group, followed by Malawi and Palau.

Thank you. Madam President. Warm greetings to President Maky Sal. President, I'd like to thank you for explaining to us your strategic vision for the post of the Secretary General. On behalf of the African group, I would like to put the following specific questions on peace and security. The absence of Africa from the category of permanent members of the Security Council is a historic injustice that has to be repaired. This situation calls into question the legitimacy of the institutions of the Charter. And this particularly applies to our continent. What is your view of the African position on the reform of the Security Council? And how do you plan to use the authority of the Office of Secretary General to make progress on intergovernmental negotiations on this matter? And then we have resolution 2719 of the Security Council that created a framework for. For helping peace operations of the African Union to benefit from UN help to implement this important resolution? However, the implementation of that resolution is blocked. What would be your approach during the annual review and how will you address this ongoing lack of political will with regard to development? As you know, development is top priority for Africa. What link do you make between the 2030 Agenda, the 2063 Agenda, the Pact for the Future, UN80, and partnership between the African Union and the United Nations? And what do you plan to do to ensure ongoing support of the United nations to other initiatives, development initiatives adopted by Africa? And how do you plan to move forward the reform of financial institutions and improve African representation within those institutions without affecting forgetting the credit rating agencies, which seem to be biased against Africa, as you just mentioned, how are you going to ensure that climate funding mechanisms, particularly climate mitigation compensation measures, will be appropriately funded and available to Africa? What current program for Africa will you maintain and strengthen? Thank you.

I thank the swingish representative of Mali. On behalf of the African group, please.

Thank you very much to the representative of Mali. Let me tell you just how much solidarity I feel with the people of Mali and the Sahel who currently are facing the consequences of international terrorism. For a number of years now, here at the United nations, we have advocated for the Security Council to be able to take assistance accompanying measures, and that we shouldn't just leave the countries suffering from it alone in their fight. Those countries are in the forefront of fighting international terrorism right now. So we need collective action, and that's the role of the Security Council to ensure responsibility for global peace and security. Coming back to your question, I'd like to pay tribute to the blue helmets that have made the ultimate sacrifice since the creation of peacekeeping operations. More than 4,000 have lost their lives. We know that these missions are delicate, they're difficult. Very often the funding is not sufficient. Then there's the nature of the conflicts as well. But we have to celebrate the role of the United nations since 1948, when the first mission was created to UNSO, the Troop Supervision Organization. And the UN is still there and in other parts of the world, on all continents. We have five missions in Africa at the moment on the ground, but they're also in Asia Pacific. There's a mission in Europe and in Central Asia, and two missions in the Middle east, three missions. All of this, I think, shows the importance that we must give to the maintenance of peace. We have to try to prevent conflicts, of course, and ensure greater coordination between the United nations and regional organizations. And you were quite right to quote Resolution 2719, that defines a free framework. And I think that that is a good approach for what the UN should do. So basically base themselves on regional organization. African Union, as far as Africa is concerned, working together with the European Union and other regional organizations that will enable us to be more effective on the ground and perhaps to spend less. So if I'm elected, I will be working very closely with the African Union to implement resolution 2719. But also I'll be working to ensure that there is convergence between the 2030 Agenda of the UN, 2063 of the African Union, and also the Pact for the Future, which is already a pact for all of the UN system. And finally, we'll be working on climate financing, which remains a challenge because since the Paris Agreement, you'll know efforts were made then there's been backtracking, and we're seeing a drop now in climate funding. The Just Energy Transition Partnership was defined and that was A way to try to get around the absence of concessional funding. So each country that is involved now in adaptation should be able to review their national commitments for climate action. And I think that mechanism I just referred to should continue and countries involved in this will be able to move to a just climate transition. Thank you.

Now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malawi on behalf of the Least Developed Countries, followed by Palau and kyrgyzstan. Madam President, Mr. Macky Sal. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries, the countries that are recognized as the most structurally vulnerable and yet the furthest behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Group welcomes this transparent and inclusive process for the selection and appointment of the next Secretary General. Mr. Sar the next Secretary General must restore confidence in a Charter driven multilateral system, rescue the SDGs in LDCs and ensure that no financial or political pressure is allowed to weaken the UN's dedicated support to to the most vulnerable countries. We therefore kindly request you Mr. Saar, to share your observations on the following questions which reflect the core concerns and expectations of the Least Developed Countries Group. First question if elected as Secretary General, what concrete steps will you take to re establish the United nations as a central forum for addressing global peace and security, development and financing issues? And how will you ensure that LDCs meaningfully remain at the table to shape these decisions rather than remain in the margins? Question 2. What will be your strategic approach to mobilize and direct adequate, predictable and concessional resources to ldc including from private capital capital investors? And how will you reorient the UN development system so that supporting LDCs to achieve the SDGs becomes a visible and system wide priority at country office level? Question 3. In the face of ongoing financial constraints, how will you ensure that resources and dedicated support to LDCs including the LDC, dedicated UN mechanisms are protected and strengthened rather than reduced? And what specific measures will you put in place to ring fence this support from across the board cuts? Question 4. As the UN faces unprecedented challenges from within and outside, what strategic approach will you undertake to reinvigorate the UN Development Pillar to deliver transformative system wide support to LDCs ensuring that the promise of the UN Charter translates into tangible lasting progress for those farthest behind? Thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Malawi on behalf of the Least developed countries. Please. Mr.

I'd like to thank the representative of Malawi and also representative of the Least Developed Countries for those questions. It's a very important grouping. That was formed through the Doha Program of action. That is a strategic framework, particularly for the least developed countries in the period 21, 2031. So that's a clearly defined decade and that needs to be activated. And we need to work with all countries of that group and also work with partner countries to ensure that financing for development can really lift all of these obstacles that have just been referred to. So what measures, Secretary General, you asked, would I plan on taking to ensure that the main body dealing with peace is the United Nations? Well, as I said, the Secretary General works with member states and will work with countries that might be involved parties to a conflict. And above all, the Secretary General works today with countries trying to find a solution. That's the case with Pakistan today, for example. Those kinds of efforts need to be accompanied by the United Nations. I think when it comes to global peace and security, we will be working together with countries to ensure that countries remain at the heart of solving all of these conflicts. With regard to capital and financing, What's stopping private funding principally is risk insurance for the investment. If we can work with the stakeholders, with Bretton woods, with partner countries, with creditors as well as borrowers, I think we'll be able to mobilize a lot of funding that will help to reduce the risk premiums added to credit. Whether it's LDCs or whether it's wealthy countries, I think that they will be able to find resources on the market. And the inclusion of the private market in financing for development is indispensable today. They can help to mitigate, but we need to mitigate the risks related to private funding that we've already referred to. Then limits to financing. Well, of course, reform should not weaken the main goals of the organization. In the area of peace and security, human rights and development, there needs to be a balance. And together, working together with member states, we need to see whether. Over and above the statutory and voluntary contributions, should we perhaps look for other sources of funding? All of those things, I think, will be on the table.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Palau on behalf of the alliance of Suicide Small Island States, followed by Kyrgyzstan and Egypt. Madam President, thank you for convening this important dialogue. I wish to thank Mr. Macky Sal for your interaction with us today. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the 39 members of the alliance of Small Island States as a group of countries in special situations. The credibility of the United nations lies in its ability to respond to the unique circumstances of sids, correct longstanding inequities and deliver results for the most vulnerable in this regard. Allow me to pose the following questions. 1.

How will you, as Secretary General, ensure

that the United nations system is more

accessible, better coordinated and tailored to the unique vulnerabilities of SIDS to better and

more meaningfully support the full implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda agenda for SIDS? 2. How will you use your leadership to accelerate global ambition and action on climate change, particularly to keep 1.5 within reach, while ensuring that SIDS receive scaled up, predictable and accessible finance for adaptation mitigation and loss and damage in line with international commitments? And lastly, what specific measure will you take to improve on the underrepresentation of sids within the United Nations Secretariat, especially at senior leadership levels? And how will you strengthen pathways for

SIDS nationals to shape decision making across the un?

I thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Palau on behalf of the alliance of small Island States.

Thank you, Madam President. And I thank the representative of Palau on behalf of small island states. So small island states are among the most exposed to climate change and. Are in danger of disappearance. Even sometimes when we're talking about global warning, it's at their level that the phenomenon is most visible because the rising of sea water is threatens them directly their very existence. We therefore have to work to make sure that climate funding for adaptation and also accompanying small island state becomes a reality and the situation requires special attention. And that is why when we decided during COP27, this was validated in COP28 for a fund for loss and damage. It's a fund for those kinds of countries, island states who are impacted by climate change. The alliance plays an important role in international negotiations and I would like to applaud your dynamic action there. We have to stand shoulder to shoulder with you to make sure that your agenda is at the heart of concerns when it comes to funding climate action for the representation and regional distribution. I think I've covered that. But I note with interest that this is a universal concern. So I will be paying special attention to that if I have the choice and the trust of member states. This is a real concern and I will be very careful to make sure that this transpires. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kyrgyzstan on behalf of the landlocked developing countries, followed by Egypt and the Solomon islands. Madam President, Mr. Macky Sall. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the group of landlocked developing countries. For 32 countries and over 500 million people, development begins with a structural reality that cannot be changed. It's a geography. And the adoption of the Awaza Program of Action reflects a renewal global commitment to addressing them in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. However, its success will depend not on ambition alone, but on effective and coherent

implementation across the United nations systems.

In this regard, we would be interested to hear from you how you would ensure the full implementation of the mandates entrusted to the Secretary General under the Program of Action. In particular, how would you mobilize the United nations system to deliver coordinated implementation and ensure coherence in follow up and monitoring? We would also appreciate your views on how to strengthen system wide coherence so that global commitments translate into the tangible

and measurable progress at the regional and country levels.

I thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Kyrgyzstan on behalf of landlocked developing countries. Please.

I think the representative of Kyrgyzstan who spoke on behalf of landlocked developing countries. They have a special vulnerability. They are fully impacted from erosion coming from a country like Senegal, which is not very far from the sea. I saw the consequences of sea encroachment and but I saw what the impact was. So these issues related to climate action are also the kinds of concerns that the organization has to bear in mind within the framework of climate action in general. We have the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, but there are also other frameworks for cooperation on for example combating desertification. But here we're talking about literal states. Everything that has to do with the protection of coastline has to be a concern. But this is directly related to financing for development. So is the same issue. It always comes back to the issue how do you ensure the stability of states? The funding for climate action, finances for the economy, sustainable agriculture for global all comes back to the issue of financing for development. This is a general underlying issue

on

which we need to be working within the framework of SDGs and post 2030agenda. We need to working with all member states and multilateral frameworks. Now when it comes to mandate implementation,

I

think that based on the Charter this will be implemented, I think in a very responsible measure without anything excessive but without any weakness either which would seem a refusal to show the responsibility that that the Charter defines as our duty. So this will be an act of taking on responsibility without an excess, but with a responsibility without weakness. I thank you.

I thank you. As one and a half hours have passed and while there's still interest from member states and groups speak on the first segment. I would also like to invite you now to focus on the second segment. The three pillars of the United Nations Peace and Security, development and human rights as already done by some statements. And we continue with our speaking list. Those who haven't pressed the button yet, please I invite you to press the microphone button. Next speaker on the list, Which for the moment we have to wait. I think it was Egypt on behalf of the Arab Group. And then we will continue.

Thank you, Madam President. I have the honor to deliver this

statement on behalf of the Arab Group. The Group welcomes the participation of His Excellency Makisal in this interaction active dialogue. The Arab Group reiterates its readiness to cooperate with the next Secretary General to contribute to enhancing the role of the UN to address the current international challenges and consolidate the principles in that Charter as well as achieving international peace and security and sustainable development. The Group would like to ask the following questions to Mr. Makisa. First, how do you see the role of the Secretary General in enhancing the role of the UN system and its integrated efforts in relation to the Palestinian question to ensure the effective implementation of all relevant international resolutions and the terms of references to achieve lasting and fair peace in the Middle East? Second, how do you see enhancing the upholding of principles of international humanitarian law, in particular in humanitarian action to support the role of humanitarian organizations, in particular the UNRWA to enable it to implement its mandate in full in non conducive conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory. And I would like to ask the following question in my national capacity.

In my national capacity. Mr. Sal, you alluded in your answer to the representative of Mali on behalf of the African group to the scourge of terrorism that is now in Florida inflicting damage and suffering in Africa and especially in West Africa and the Sahel. Tourism has. Terrorism has evolved over the past 20 years, being now more complex, resistant and adaptive to countermeasures. How can you bring back the centrality

of counterterrorism and the collective effort of to counterterrorism back at the center of

the United nations work on peace and security. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Egypt on behalf of the Arab Group. Next speaker on the list will be Solomon Islands in Trinidad and Tobago, but prefers the answer to the question to Egypt by Mr. Sal.

I think the representative of Egypt. Thank you very much. Thank you for your question on behalf of the Arab Group. Well, the role of the Secretary General, the way I see it is to. Reinvent or guarantee that the organization finds its place at the global table again, which should have always been the case. Once again, the Secretary General will not be there to choose a camp but to avoid a situation wherein the world divides itself into camps. This will be my role always. And on this will depend the credibility. Which, with the support of member states, will help with the situation of the organization. So you mentioned the Israeli Palestinian conflict. We know that it is a permanent threat to the international peace and security, as we know, but it's also a human tragedy. Numerous resolutions, and you mentioned that and initiatives have been on this conflict here within this very house. The Most recent one, 9 October 2025, agreement in Sharma El Sheikh in Egypt signed between Israel and Hamas, the plan which had been put forward by President Donald Trump. I am convinced that we should continue working in that direction, moving in that direction, because neither war nor violence in whatever form will bring about peace and security to either one of the parties. So we have to continue working with all parties to make sure that the peace agreement, that peace plan, Becomes a reality, as when it comes to humanitarian assistance, I pay tribute to UN agencies and the NGOs who participate in the supplying of assistance, sometimes at the peril to their lives. And this needs to be supported now. The scourge of terrorism I did say during my introduction that we should not let countries on their own, to stand against international terrorism on their own. International coalitions were needed to end terrorism in the Levant, in Africa, for years, in the association of Sahelian countries, be it in Nechad or in the Horn of Africa, with Al Shabaab, or in Southern Africa, in Mozambique. You can see that the continent as a whole has this major concern, has this major threat threat, which is international terrorism. So I think we have to continue efforts here, including through Security Council, and have an agenda on which we will constantly be working. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Solomon Islands on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum, followed by Trinidad and Tobago and Andorra. Thank you, Madam President. And thank you, Mr. Makisol, for sharing your vision. I have the honor to address you

today on behalf of the members of

the Pacific Islands Forum, represented with a presence here in New York.

We thank the President of the General

assembly for this valuable opportunity to engage

directly with the candidates for Secretary General. The Pacific region faces many challenges, some

shared by members across this assembly, others unique to our region.

In confronting these challenges, we draw on our strengths, including commitment to working together through the Pacific Islands Forum to deliver for our people. But no challenge is more pressing than

climate change, which will disproportionately imperil the lives, livelihoods, security and well being of Pacific people.

Secretary General Guterres visits To to our region helped him to appreciate the gravity of this threat and to mobilize international attention. It also allowed him to appreciate the region's leadership and to hear firsthand from our communities on the work they are

doing to bolster resilience. During his 2024 visit to Tonga for

the Pacific Islands Forum, the Secretary General described the Pacific region and I quote,

a beacon of solidarity and strength, environmental stewardship and peace. The Pacific and the UN have a

long history of collaboration and we want

to ensure that this partnership continues and is prioritized under UN's new leadership.

We have two questions for the candidate. First, how would you use the office of the Secretary General to draw attention and mobilize action to address the unique

vulnerabilities of all small island developing states, including Pacific seeds, in particular the impacts of climate change.

And second, the UN is often pulled

towards crises that dominate headlines as realities

unfold more slowly with irreversible consequences.

How will you balance urgent conflicts with

existential threats such as impacts of climate change?

What criteria will guide your decision where attention and political capital will be directed to.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Solomon Islands on behalf of the seats.

Thank you very much. I think the representative of the Solomon island or the Pacific Island Forum. I understand very well the challenges that you described which have to do with climate change which directly impacts the life of people on this island, sometimes threatening their existence. And that's why I said earlier that we need to pay very close attention to the consequences of climate change on these small islands states, be they in the Pacific, on the Caribbean or African coastline. It is important here for the international community be of the view that these countries are rather victims because they contribute in actual fact very little to the pollution which is the underpinning reason of climate change. They have very few greenhouse gases, there's no industry. So through international solidarity, we need to accompany what is being done by the Pacific islands and generally speaking island states to make sure that they can continue financing their climate action adaptation and to help them strengthen their resilience against that permanent threat. We can see it in tropical storms and hurricanes. All of the consequences that these countries experience which sometimes destroy decades of developmental efforts. So please be assured that we will be paying very close, close attention to that and that the reform undertaken will not be at the detriment of this Developmental and Climate Action Fund expense. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Trinidad and Tobago on behalf of the Caribbean Community, followed by Andorra and the next civil Society Organization.

I thank you, Madam President. I speak this afternoon on behalf of the 14 member states of the Caribbean Community CARICOM.

And let me also thank Mr. Sal

for offering himself to the international community

to be of service. And thank you for sharing your vision

statement with us as regards thematic area on leadership experience and skills. Mr. Sal. A former Secretary General Doug Hamaskull once

observed, and I quote, it is not

the great powers who need the United nations for their protection. It is all the others. In this sense, the organization is first of all their organization. And I deeply believe in the wisdom with which they will be able to

use it and guide it.

I shall remain in my post during the term of my office as a servant of the organization in the interests of all those other nations as long

as they wish me to do so.

End of quote. Should you be elected Secretary General? And this question is similar to what Solomon Islands and Palau ask, but with

a bit more specificity in the response, please.

How do you envision the role of small states within the United nations system? And what concrete measures would you prioritize to ensure that their voices are meaningfully amplified across the organization's decision making processes? Particularly as it relates to optimizing the

synergies between the Office of the Secretary

General and that of the Member States, Understanding and appreciating that the first port

of call with the Member States would be the permanent missions here in New York.

And secondly, as it relates to thematic

area number two, what reforms do we believe are necessary to ensure that the United nations architecture reflects contemporary global realities without undermining its ability to act? And how would you enhance the implementation

of the General Assembly's mandates and improve

coordination among the Office of the Secretary General, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, the Security Council and troop and police contributing countries. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Trinidad and Tobago on behalf of the Caribbean community. Please. Mr. Sal,

The grand.

One doesn't have great ideas in establishing the icc. As regards your concerns, I would like to say that this will be a major concern, a major concern for members States. The office of the Secretary General has to reflect the world of today as the Security Council should represent the world of today. I didn't have enough time to respond the question put by Mali on the African questions about Security Council reform. I defended those positions in my other life when I was President of the country and it was within the framework of Ezsouluni consensus. So as Secretary General, my role would be to support consensual reform and to make sure that the organization Security Council in particular reflects the world of the 21st century. Of course, the reform is not simple because we have been seeing for 30 years this issue has been under discussion. But we have to try and move the agenda forward with consensus by bearing in mind the need to preserve the effectiveness of the Security Council and its credibility, because the Council also has to be in line with what the world is like today. So there is a reform, but we have to move forward prudently and consensually, and the Secretary General will be doing that. On the role of small states. Believe me when I say that I heard your heartfelt expression and we will be making sure that there is a balance there, that for every post I would suggest that there be a man and a woman proposed, so that the Secretary General can work on gender balance, but also take into account the geographic reality of each member state. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Andorra on behalf of the Group of La Francophonie Ambassadors, followed by civil society and Austria. Merci, Madame.

La thank you, Madam. I take the floor on behalf of 53 countries. Now I'm going to go directly to questions. I know that you're French speaker, you already addressed the issue of multilingualism, but we still have questions on it. Since the publication of the Strategic Framework for multilingualism in 2024, no directive, guideline or administrative instruction was adopted in this context, what new incentive would you bring into the strategic framework? Second question. What specific measure are you planning to make sure that there is equity between the working languages, English and French specifically, and to make sure that multilingualism is indeed included in peace and development activities on multilateralism. Now we have two questions. The current crises require broader mobilization. How will you ensure more structured participation of regional organizations side by side with Member states? And finally, how are you going to promote Operation Complementarity with actors, in particular the International Organization of Francophony as an agent for the implementation of the three pillars, as we are trying to streamline the work of the United Nations. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Andorra on behalf of the Group of La Francophonie Ambassadors.

Merci, Madame. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. I thank Representative Obandora who represents his country and Francophany on multilingualism. I think I've already addressed this issue, but I can say now that what is already indicated in the Charter will be implemented on the working languages first. But also I said that we are going to see what new things we can bring in by using artificial intelligence, which today can be very helpful without being very costly for the organization in the sense that the organization could then move beyond the official languages. So I will take a look at what measures could be taken taken to make sure that the strategic framework can be implemented for the time being. I cannot tell you more because I need to familiarize myself with the state of things more now when it comes to the working languages, the equity between English and French, well, both of them will be present in documentation as well as interpretation services. Now, the last aspect that you mentioned, the cooperation between the International Organization of Francophony and the un. I think I've already touched upon that this afternoon when I mentioned the needed cooperation between the UN and regional organizations, as well as sectoral organizations such as the oif, the International Organization of Frank Coffee, because we are sharing the same area, mediation, democracy, peace. And on these issues, I think there can be complementarity between us and this will help the organization perhaps to be less present everywhere, but rather work in close cooperation with other frameworks. And there are many of those. And I think we're going to explore all of these possibilities to make sure that the organization is as effective and efficient as possible, but is also be complemented as much as possible by other partner organizations.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the next civil society organization. Given the technical issues, this will be red out. And the statement has been recorded by Anidi Yinyang Foundation. Please, you have the floor. Thank you, Madam President. On the behalf of the Enidi and

Yong Foundation, I'll read the following question.

What specific strategies do you propose to address ongoing conflicts and prevent future crises, especially in the Middle East, Africa and Ukraine? How will you balance human rights with

the need to prevent atrocities? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Sall, you have the floor.

Thank you very much. To the representative of civil society. Well, specific strategies to solve conflicts, something where all member states have to act, namely, dialogue amongst neighbors, respect for the sovereignty of states. That's a sacrosanct principle. Respect for the territorial integrity of states. And then we have the mediation mechanisms and early warning systems. All of those things need to constantly be working. It's a lot cheaper to prevent a conflict than provide solutions once those same conflicts have been triggered. So whether this is working together with regional organizations or as I said before, or civil society organizations, we need to leverage all areas of dialogue to engage in preventive diplomacy to stop us reaching conflicts within states, but above all between states. Unfortunately, we're seeing increasingly conflicts between countries now. So mediation and early warning and preventive diplomacy need to be operational at all times to hopefully avoid large scale conflicts breaking out. Then, with regard to human rights, well, of course. There are areas where the UN intervenes with peacekeeping forces and there's zero tolerance with regard to any violence against the local population, particularly gender based violence. All of those things are going to be continued and strengthened. We also need to ensure that human rights and human rights action really increasingly is emphasized in these operations in order to help populations that have suffered in this area and have no shelter and don't have basic things like housing and water. So it's collective action that is required and the Secretary General will be the one that will be providing the impetus for all of this. But what's important is the contribution of everybody involved, particularly Member States, as part of collective action for peace in the world. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Austria on behalf of the Group of Friends on the Rule of Law, followed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Germany.

Thank you, President.

And merci, Monsieur le President.

Thank you. President Mackicel.

Speak on behalf of over 50 cross

regional members of the Group of Friends

of the Rule of Law.

In recent years, we have witnessed breaches

of even the most fundamental provisions of

the UN Charter, including the obligation of all Member States to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force, as well as mass atrocities committed at large scale in grave breach of international law. All this paired with the failure of the Security Council to take adequate action in response. So, two questions of the Group of

Friends of the Rule of Law.

What concrete proactive and preventive measures would you personally pursue if elected as Secretary General to strengthen the rule of law and prevent breaches by Member States of

the Charter's principles and of international law?

And the second question, and please be specific. What specific preventive diplomacy initiatives would you launch or strengthen? I know this has been just asked,

so kindly be specific on this one. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Austria on behalf of the Group of Friends on the Rule of Law. Please.

Thank you, Madame President.

Thank you very much. To the distinguished representative of Austria, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Rule of Law. I'd like to recall that in the current international context, any initiative reaffirming the respect for international law and of the United Nations Charter is an important initiative that I would fully support. The Group of Friends of the Rule of Law. As you said, you're 50 countries and you make a very useful contribution to promoting legal certainty, respect for International obligations, the sovereign equality of states, and above all, the peaceful settlement of disputes. So this is really the principal mission of the United Nations. You really are helping the United nations to do its basic work every day. So I remain attached to non recourse to violence and force and above all to respect for the territorial integrity of member states and also to ensure that international law is applied without being selective. And I will recall that every time that it needs to be done. But what we need to do is to apply this message to everyone without any double standards or favoritism. Thank you. With regard to diplomatic prevention, you're right. That helps us to work upstream of crises being triggered. So working on prevention is very important. If you maintain dialogue, I think you can prevent a number of crises. Thank you.

Merci. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on behalf of the Benelux countries, followed by Germany and Sweden. Thank you, Madam President. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Benelux, a long standing regional partnership comprising Belgium, Luxembourg and my own country, the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Also, I would like to align with the statement delivered by the European Union And I thank Mr. Salle for sharing his vision and responding to our questions. We consider that the UN needs above all a Secretary General with proven leadership and reform credentials capable of guiding a complex organization in a time of geopolitical 10 tension and financial pressure. We attach particular importance to a Secretary General who can strengthen trust in multilateralism and the international legal order, act as a strong convening power across all three pillars, and who can proactively contribute to prevention, peace building and mediation at the very center. At the same time, we see a need to strengthen the UN's financial sustainability, accountability and system wide coherence in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. The Secretary General's role and as a convener, bridge building is essential. We also believe that this role requires a strong commitment to the principles and values of the un, including human rights, rule of law and accountability. This brings me to my two questions. Firstly, could you kindly elaborate on how you would ensure that as Secretary General, you will be prepared to uphold the UN principles and values consistently, including in situations where this may require taking difficult positions vis a vis Member States. Secondly, could you kindly share your early thinking on the composition of your senior leadership team, including the Deputy Secretary General? I know that you already shared some thoughts with us, but could you kindly elaborate how you would approach considerations such as regional balance, gender and the specific qualities needed to support your priorities and your competences thank you so much. I thank the distinguished representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on behalf of the Benelux countries. Please, Mr. Sol.

Madame, Representative of the Netherlands and Benelux, as you said, I think United nations need leadership. If I'm elected, I will follow very closely and very strictly the charter. And of course the diplomacy is not happening in the street or via the press. I will do my best with all the member states, particularly the P5s and the member of the Security Council. But I will certainly do what I supposed to do in terms of telling the obligation of all member states to follow the rules. This is diplomacy. It is just what I can say.

Now with regard to the financial issue, as we've said, what's needed is trust and reform to bring on board those that are still reluctant to contribute, to bring them on board to ensure that we have funding mechanisms that give predictability and particularly ensure the funding of the organization. Then with regard to the composition of the team, there are certain departments that come under the Secretary General. And particular stress will be given not only to geographic representation, but also taking into account the realities of the organization. So specifically that means. That there are different levels of contribution. That's true, but we also need to take into account geographic representation. Both things are true. I will ensure that the principle of parity is respected. And so member states are requested for each post that they might qualify for to put forward a qualified woman candidate in addition to other candidates. And these candidates are everywhere. I can't say any more in this regard right now because I don't have information about the whole team surrounding the Secretary General. But what I can say is that we have specialized agencies as well. And the rules of those organizations are very clear. And very often it's the countries through the regions that organize selection there and election of leaders for those agencies, funds and programs. You can be assured that I would be a very fair Secretary General and I would work in a transparent fashion with all member states. That's my commitment to you and I will keep my word. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Germany on behalf of the Group of Four, followed by Sweden and the next civil society organization.

Madam President, thank you very much. Monsieur Sal. Merci Detrobec Nous. Thank you for being with us this afternoon. Mr. Sal, speak on behalf of the Group of Four. Brazil, India, Japan and Germany. And as this group plays a pivotal role in the reform of the Security Council, my question was on this. I know you have spoken on it in your vision and you have been asked about it.

But if there's something you have to

add, please do so.

On the question of what would the

engagement of you as Secretary General be with specific initiatives vis a vis the question of reform of the Council that does not today represent the geopolitical realities. And if I may add one question,

in my national capacity, we talk about

making the organization fit for purpose a lot. And you've spoken about reform and what is needed. But could you be specific? With your experience as a leader and the reforms you may have instituted in your capacities, former capacities, what do you think is most needed in terms of reform of the organization and how does your experience pertain to that?

I thank the distinguished representative of Germany on behalf of the group of four, please, Mr. Saul.

Thank you very much, Madam President. And I thank the representative of Germany and also the Group of Four with regard to Security Council reform. I would recall, Ambassador, that this debate has been ongoing now for 32 years. And one thing that we can all agree on is that today the Security Council is not representative of today's world. We all agree on that. But having said that, how can we now ensure that the Council is more representative? Well, that's the crux of the problem. You've got the. Group that Germany represents. Germany, Brazil, India and I can't remember the fourth, says the Speaker. It'll come back to me. And these countries are asking to enter the Council as permanent members. Then you have developing countries that are not represented at all because they weren't there when the UN was created. And the African Union for a long time now has been going, proceeding according to the Ezolwhini Consensus with regard to non permanent members with the right to veto. And there are others who feel that reform cannot take place now in the time of tension that more time is needed for reform. What I can try to do is push the agenda forward and we need to ensure inclusion whilst also bearing in mind the need. To maintain the credibility and above all the effectiveness of the Council. Because with five vetoes, that's already a hard task. So now we need to see how we can engage reform, but still ensuring the effectiveness of the Council. So all options are on the table and I will push as hard as I can. Obviously the decision is not that of the Secretary General. It is the decision of Member States if this reform is to go forward. You asked if I could be more specific. I've noted down the questions. I think that's all I can say on reform for the moment. We have to continue be bold in this Reform, but take the time that is necessary to ensure that inclusion is a reality. Also, equity, fairness is a reality. And I think everybody can agree that the Council does need to enlarge. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sweden, also on behalf of Switzerland, followed by the cso.

Merci, Madame La Presse. Thank you, Madam President. President Macysell to pose four questions on

behalf of Switzerland and my own country, Sweden. First, the UN Charter stresses the independence of the Secretary General. He or she is expected to resist

pressure from powerful member states, especially the permanent members of the Security Council, even if the position depends on their support.

How would you respond if a permanent

member of the Security Council undermines UN principles and acts against international law?

Can you describe a situation where you

would publicly oppose a major power and what consequences you would be willing to accept? Second, what specific changes will you prioritize to make the UN system more coordinated, accountable, and results driven, particularly through strengthened

resident coordinators and to enable the selection

of competence outside the UN system? Third, what is your vision for the future of UN peacekeeping operations?

How will you address current liquidity constraints, improve the safety and effectiveness of missions,

and ensure that peacekeeping remains a credible and viable multilateral tool in increasingly complex conflict environments? And finally, we are deeply concerned by the global pushback against women's and girls rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as commitments under the women peace and security agenda. What concrete actions will you take to advance gender equality and counter this regression?

I thank you, Madam President. I thank the distinguished representative of Sweden, also on behalf of Switzerland, please. Mr. Saul,

Thank you very much to the representative of Sweden, speaking also on behalf of Switzerland, Germany. I'm sorry I wasn't able to come back on reform on concrete measures. I'll try to include that now in this response. First of all, with regard to international law, if a permanent member of the Security Council were to violate international law, my role as Secretary General would be to draw their attention to this in the appropriate diplomatic way. If it's a flagrant violation, then that warning would be public, asking the member to change their behavior. Once again, the United nations is made up of its members. The moral position that I would defend is based on the Charter, And I plan to exercise this duty, I would call it, to highlight these things and to conduct discussions with members that might find themselves in this position. Then, with regard to peacekeeping operations, I think this is a global debate. Everybody can agree on the need to maintain these operations, Because if they weren't there, certainly with regard to all These border conflicts, where you have blue helmets or political missions, they're so important. But we have to face the fact that funding is going down from 7 billion to down to 5 billion for peace operations. And then we have chapter seven actions under chapter seven. That's never an easy thing to do. These are things that we'll have to look at together to see how we can maintain the presence of blue helmets everywhere where there is a need. Also working together with regional organizations and inviting troop contributing countries and those financing these operations to perhaps get involved to a greater extent. As far as reform is concerned, what I will begin by doing is showing what the organization can do in the area of avoiding duplication of effort. For example, sometimes there are organizations that are doing the same thing. So we have to perhaps propose rationalization to member states in these areas in order to make the Secretariat more effective, as well as organizations that come under the umbrella of the un, Certainly we are prepared to move towards further reform. Thank you.

I thank you. I now give the floor to the civil society organization, Agoras Giudanos Gambiano, Mexico. They have registered to attend in person, but the representative is currently not in the room due to unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, this statement will also be read out on behalf of the organization. Please. Thank you, Madam President. On the behalf of the selected organization, I will read the following question. What changes do you wish to implement to strengthen the UN mechanism, sdg advocacy work, partnership with civil society and focus on youth priorities? Thank you. Thank you. Please, Mr. Sal.

Thank you very much. La Jeunesse

well, youth, young people account for the majority of the population, even though we have a reverse pyramid in developed countries. But if you look at Asia and Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, the population is very young. So all development policy must take into account that reality. During my years in government in Senegal, I launched a kind of bank for young people because we needed to develop entrepreneurship, because we understood that salaried employment couldn't provide all of the jobs that were necessary in our countries. If you have an average population of 19 years old, for example, in Africa, you can understand the difficulty that that poses for Africa. So you need to have development that not only includes training, and that's not just education, but above all, vocational training and training in new digital professions. All of that will help to develop activities. That will make available resources to young people so that they can become the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. As far as the organization itself is concerned, we already have mechanisms with the Economic and Social Council, for example. We have mechanisms in place there for youth Leadership that needs to be worked on further together with civil society. But more generally I think that the issue is youth employment and we need to pay particular attention to that because migration and even terrorism have to be considered here. Young people are easy prey for terrorists if they're not employed. So we have to. And to come back to a previous question, the G4, Japan, Germany, Brazil and India. Just wanted to correct that because I couldn't give the complete list just now. Thank you, Madam President.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Finland, also on behalf of Jordan, followed by Australia and Malaysia as the first country on behalf of their national capacity. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you Mr. Sal for presenting your

vision here and sharing your thoughts and views with us.

Jordan and Finland have the honor to

support as the co chairs of the

group of champions of youth peace and

security, the youth can be the key contributors to peace and resilience globally.

As coaches, we work closely with young

peace builders and youth led networks to

ensure that their perspectives meaningfully inform discussions at the un. Thus, the following question comes directly from young peacebuilders.

If elected, how would you leverage your

role as the Secretary General to advance

the youth peace and security agenda in a meaningful way?

Would you be able to give us one concrete example? Thank you very much. I thank the distinguished representative of Finland also on behalf of Jordan, please.

Thank you very much to the representative of Finland and speaking on behalf of Jordan as well, I welcome congratulate your two countries for having established the network of young people for peace and security. Promoting the peace and security agenda. Is. When doing that, it's important to incorporate not just young people, but also women. Women are central to peace, particularly in Africa. We see a lot of intervention by women in solving conflicts and also preventing conflicts. And the same thing would apply to young people. We have to encourage this agenda, particularly since in a lot of conflicts we see child soldiers, for example, very often they become easy victims for recruitment and for radicalization. So we need to do everything that we can. To help youth and I'll be very happy to work together with youth, your two countries to ensure that this agenda is shared and that together we're able to provide some positive responses that can then be put forward to the General assembly and the Security Council. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Australia, also on behalf of New Zealand. Madam President, Excellencies, Mr. Sao, thank you for your time today. In the current context, the United nations ability to fulfil its core mandate rests on institutional credibility, capability and capacity this requires bold and principled leadership, including the ability to deploy the Secretary General's good offices with political courage and effect. It requires a UN focused on upholding all three people pillars of its work and to translate early warning into early action. And it requires experienced and ethical management and realistic and fit for purpose mandates that sharpen effectiveness and delivery. So I ask this question on behalf of New Zealand and Australia, my own country, and I understand that Austria is also interested in the answer. But how do you think the UNAD initiative is working to align leadership, authority and resources to restore confidence in the UN and enable it to deliver results against its three pillars? And how would you build on the UN 80 initiative to make it more effective? Thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Australia also on behalf of New Zealand. Please, Mr. Sol,

I thank you. The representative of Australia, New Zealand. You mentioned the issue of good offices, and I think I mentioned this in my introductory remarks. We need to develop preventive diplomacy, strengthen our mediation efforts, conflict prevention, and. With UN80 reform, we will be able to emphasize certain sectors where strengthening will be needed. In particular, developing good officers missions, but also the preventive activities. UNATI, I think, was launched during the 80th anniversary of the UN and I've already examined closely the measures which are being planned. I think there are efforts there that need to be made in the short term, other measures which need to be validated by Member states. And this is because, once again, if, for example, we want to reduce structures, entities or merge them, will Member States have to agree to that? It is true that things can be optimized. And that's what I meant, optimize. Make sure there is no duplication of overlapping. These are the things that the organization can do fairly quickly. Now in order to go further, well, this reform has to also be shared by Member States. This is what will underpin a lasting reform, a reform in which everyone is involved. And it's only in this way that we will be able to mobilize all of the resources from assessed contributions and voluntary contributions of Member States. Of course, the reform should not kill the pillars of UN work. These pillars are peace and security, human rights and development. So these three have to go together. And within peace and security, also the rule of law issue comes into play. So if you trust me, well, then together with permanent missions and states, it is all of these issues that we will be able to provide with solutions to guide the UN work for the upcoming five years. That would be my answer to the question. Thank you.

Thank you. We have exhausted the list of Speakers of groups, we will continue with member states speed speaking in their national capacity. I would like to remind you that intervention should be not more than two minutes for delegation speaking in national capacity. And I would also remind you, Mr. Sall, to stay within two minutes now so we can hear as many member states as possible. First would be Malaysia, afterwards Cote d' Ivoire and then the civil society organization. Please distinguish representative from Malaysia. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President for the opportunity to engage with the candidates.

Mr. Makisal, thank you for taking the

time to address Malaysia's question.

We appreciate your engagement. One of the most important tools available to a UN Secretary General is in

advancing mediation and conflict resolution is the

deployment of special envoys in Malaysia's regional context. We have witnessed firsthand the value of this approach. The Secretary General Special Envoy on Myanmar has worked closely and constructively with the ASEAN CHESS special envoy during Malaysia's chairmanship of ASEAN last year. This complementarity between the UN and regional mechanisms such as ASEAN reflects the kind of multilateral coherence we like to see continue. My question to you is this. If you are selected as Secretary General

and faced with the responsibility of appointing

a special envoy, particularly in a complex and sensitive conflict, what specific criteria would guide your selection? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Malaysia. Please. Mr. Sal,

I think the representative of Malaysia thank you for your question. It's a very important one and

it

brings us to cooperation between the UN and regional organizations. Asean, for example, that you quoted. When it comes to the choice of the special envoy, I think that for first criteria would be is in depth knowledge of the issue. If you send someone to Asia. Well, someone has to be a specialist in Asia. There are also ethical criteria, of course, and experience. I think these criteria combined together should enable one to appoint a special envoy who already has experience diplomatically, politically, has historic knowledge of the conflict. One will need that quality. And also the special envoy has to be able to come from all regions of the world. So the criteria would be principally the criteria of competence, experience and ethics. Above all,

I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cote d'.

Ivoire. Thank you, Madam President. President Maky Sal. Please allow me to express to you our thanks with a vision and the forward looking priorities that you shared with us during your initial presentation and which shows an in depth knowledge of our world. Your candidacy comes at a very crucial time where we at the un we are facing a special time. In particular geopolitical tensions, budgetary limitation, crises within the organization, erosion of multilateralism and Increasing questions about the effectiveness of institutional mechanism. Given all of that, the UN is perceived as limited within its capacity to act internationally. Which specific reform reforms you would propose to increase its effectiveness, credibility and its response capacity to various multidimensional crises. Second, given the major conflicts nowadays, in particular in Eastern Europe, in Africa, in the Middle east, in the Sahel, what new approach or strategic priority would Macky Sal, if he is Secretary General, would pull forward to promote a lasting resolution of these crises and the prevention of similar conflicts in the future? Mr. President, the African countries are suffering greatly from climate change. What would you do if you were Secretary General to compel the UN to have greater action vis a vis African countries impacted by climate change change? Thank you.

Thank the distinguished representative of cote d'. Ivoire, Mr. Sal.

Thank you very much, Madam President. Distinguished representative of Cote d'. Ivoire, thank you very much for your questions, very relevant ones. You described the situation, the factors we're dealing with, budgetary constraints, trust deficit between the organization and a number of member states, key member states, which means that the UN is not always at the table on the major issue that you mentioned, the conflict in Europe and the Middle east, in Africa, where fortunately the UN is still very much present. The diplomatic action of the UN, I think, will start once member states select the new Secretary General. And if I am chosen, then I would start a discussion with various countries on what it is that we are ready to do together. Ultimately, this organization was created on the rubble left behind the Second World War II. After the First World War II, there was an organization, the League of Nations. It was fairly weak and then there was a Second World War. So we do not want a continuation of the rule of this trip strongest to be there. So I think we will need to have wide ranging discussions and find an appropriate response when it comes to mediation. Diplomacy, of course, is key preventive action in Africa. Africa pollutes to the tune of 4% but suffers for climate change. So climate change adaptation for Africa is the kind of action that we need to continue and bring partners around to accompany the continent in that area. I think I already mentioned that.

The floor to the next civil society organization, Genesis for Children Organization, please. You have the floor, followed by guinea and El Salvador. Thank you so much, Madam President. And Elena, Hon. Secretary General's candidate, Mr. Maki Saul. Given the devastating impact of conflicts on children, what concrete measures would you take to enhance protection and security of children in war zones, ensure accountability for violations of children's rights, and uphold human rights? Innocent children are dying daily. How will you address this crisis. Thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of the civil society organization, Genesis for children organization. Please. Mr. Sall, you have the floor.

Thank you very much. I think the representative of civil society, you recalled for us that the two categories in conflict areas which suffer most, and it's the children and women, did state that common action should enable the UN to combat these crimes committed. The children and women, where the UN is present very strongly with a police mission, it's easier. But the UN is not everywhere. So to make up for that, cooperation with those organizations which are present on the ground, at least when it comes to information exchange is needed and decision has to be made to extend greater protection to children and women in conflict areas. I think that this will be a constant area of advocacy for the Secretary General and all of the United nations bodies to make sure that the children in conflict areas are protected, as well as women, against any kind of abuses.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the senior representative of guinea, followed by El Salvador and Armenia. Merci, Madame La.

Thank you, Madam President. And I thank Mr. Maky Sal for her brilliant statement. Mr. Sal, why do you want to become Secretary General of the United nations today? That's my question number one. Question number two, what would be your absolute topmost priority once you become Secretary General if this happens? And next question. Africa must have a permanent seat to with a Security Council with a veto power according to the common African position. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Guinea. Bless you. And I give the floor to Mr.

Thank you.

I think the representative of guinea. Why do I want to present my candidacy for the post of the UN Secretary General in this context of today, which is characterized by fragmentation, multiple crises, including the liquidity crisis. I'm convinced that the years I spent working as a public servant have enabled me to work together with various forces and entities. I worked locally, I was a mayor. I was an arbiter in very basic conflicts, sometimes between a taxi and a market seller, and therefore paid attention to concerns of individuals, even those who seem to be the least important. Of course, no one is least important. But what I'm trying to say is in the course of my my responsibilities, I learned to negotiate. Then when I wasn't at ecowas, I had to act when there was a coup d' etat in Burkina Faso. And through persuasion we managed to make sure that the junta put the power back in place and the authority was taken back by the civilians with the G20. When I was head of the African Union, I talked to all of the Leaders, as a result of which we entered the G20. This was not an obvious thing at the time, but it was through discussion, through dialogue. And I think that this capacity, I have to talk to anyone, everyone, without any barriers. This is what I want to and can put at the disposal of the organization and then the capacity to reform and accompany a reform. Not on the right, not on the left, not with the east or the west now, north or South. I have this capacity and I want to put it at the disposal of the UN and Member States to move our common agenda forward. I'm once again being told that I don't have have a whole lot of time. But let me say that of course Africa deserves a permanent seat at the Security Council. Africa asked for two seats at the African position. Other are asking to be amongst that number in their individual country capacity. Also, other regions of the world are asking for representation. We have this discussion at the table. Well, the Secretary General will not make this decision, but it will facilitate a discussion amongst Member States on that. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of El Salvador, followed by Armenia and Cuba.

Thank you, Madam President. And thank you, Mr. Sal, for being with us in this interactive session. As questions are as follows. If you are appointed the next Secretary General, how will you balance the need to modernize the organization, including the digital transformation, with the preservation of the technical experience and institutional mandates? Secondly, how do you plan to strengthen the peacebuilding architecture to ensure that it can be more coherent, predictable and aimed at prevention in the UN system? Along the same lines, what specific measures would you promote from within the Secretariat to ensure sustainability in peace peacekeeping? Thank you.

Thank the distinguished representative of el Salvador. Please.

Mr. Solomon, thank the representative of El Salvador. On the question about digital transformation. The world is witnessing a digital divide. After Y2K in 2000, we have seen progress in developing countries, but also the gap in developing countries. Well, now this gap is narrowing, can be narrowed more easily and artificial intelligence should enable us to narrow it further. But states have to work on digital transformation in all sectors of life, starting with education, training, and by cooperating through a global platform which needs to subsume under it the issues that artificial intelligence, of course, will bring about. Francois Rabelais was already saying this in the 16th century, that science without conscience will ruin your soul. Technological progress is very beneficial, but if it's not properly approached, well, this can be a source of a great deal of challenges for humankind. So we have to continue working on that to guarantee that there is financing for peace. Cooperation with regional organizations, the principle of subsidiarity, but also the example of Resolution 2719 for African states is a model which shows that the United nations can work together with these organizations, organizations and thus perhaps reduce budgets accordingly, but also be more effective, especially be more effective. And this applies to other regions of the world. And that's where we're going to be working, I think.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Armenia, followed by Cuba. And we have 15 minutes left, so we will probably hear three more national statements. Please, the distinguished representative of Armenia.

Thank you, President Sal, for your very edifying responses. At the time when the effectiveness of the United nations in the area of conflict prevention and peace building is being brought into question, including in situations where. Where peace agreements remain fragile, how would you strengthen the proactive role to be played by the Secretary General in terms of early warning and also accompanying peace processes to make sure that they are irreversible? We also associate ourselves with the concerns of vulnerable countries. Kyrgyzstan, for example, the landlocked countries, and the concerns of Philippines, the medium income countries. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Armenia. Please, Mr. Saul.

Thank you very much. The representative of Armenia. It's always the same question. The very important one, issue of early warning, prevention, mediation, which needs to be an everyday kind of action and work so as to prevent conflicts. So it will be important. Well, this work is already being done by the un. Of course, it needs to be strengthened major diplomatic entity work for conflict prevention and mediation. In this regard, we mentioned special envoys, personal envoys. I think all of this is available to the Secretary General. But in addition to that, there is cooperation with regional organizations who are closer to the situation on the ground and enables them to work effectively against emerging conflicts for the remainder of that. Kyrgyzstan. Yes, landlocked country. I made a mistake there. I think that landlocked countries have the same rights as coastal countries. We have a convention that says that landlocked countries have to have the same facilities for transit and also to make sure that barriers do not block international trade and do not create an additional burden as regards their national activity. And in many regions of the world, these landlocked countries do work with coastal states to have access to ports and in particular transport corridors to make good transport easier for them. Thank you.

Merci. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba, followed by Namibia and the Russian Federation.

Thank you very much, Madam President. Distinguished President Macky Sal. Following on from the G77 and AOC questions, we'd like to put the following two questions in our national capacity, which to extent have been covered by other delegations. But perhaps we can cover some things that for reasons of time you weren't able to go into in greater detail. Given the growing conflicts and warlike action, what would the Secretary General do to promote a culture of peace, help to solve disputes and recommend the non use of force? How can you guarantee that there will be consideration of human rights in the United nations that will be universal, impartial, non selective and free of politicization or double standards or political influence? Thank you.

Thank the distinguished representative of Cuba, please. Mr. Salt,

thank you very much. Distinguished representative of Cuba, thank you for your question on the defense of human rights. I think I did talk about that we need to strengthen the means we have for this kind of work and also to avoid the double standard. I think I've already mentioned that as well. And this has to be the permanent kind of behavior on the part of the organization. We have to constantly be there to make sure that the human rights are defended in those countries where it is violated. And to get back to the issue put by Cote d', Ivoire, I think on the Azulwini Consensus, the applicant request was to have two permanent seats with the veto right and two additional non permanent seats. So just to make sure that I correctly reflect the African position, to show that there's issues on the table,

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Namibia.

Thank you, Madam President. Master saar. In September 2024, world leaders adopted the most wide ranging international agreement in many years, namely the PEG for the Future, a notable agreement that has reinvigorated the multilateral system and has given direction in a number of important global multilateral thematic issues. Yet your vision statement is silent on this Mayor International commitment. My questions are as follows. What is your vision to implementing the PEC for the future and how best can the Secretariat support Member States in its implementation ahead of 2028 review of the PEC, particularly the reform of the international financial architecture, which is at the core of denying the much needed funding for development. 2. In the PEC for the future, world leaders agreed that Africa should be treated as a special as a priority and a special case as far as the reform of the Security Council is concerned. The question is what is your understanding of this unique decision taken by Member States and how would your office support its implementation? And three, what would you do differently from the current SG in response to today's geopolitical conflicts? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Namibia. Please Mr. Sal,

thank you very much. Thank you. Representative of Namibia for the Pact for the Future just mentioned earlier. It's an important roadmap, an ambitious one, which, which was adopted by General assembly in September 2024, which showed very clearly the importance of promoting multilateralism when faced with the challenges of the 21st century. And of course, there are clear actions indicated there. In particular, you mentioned the issue of financing for development, also youth issues. We have to also emphasize peace and security, sustainable development. This brings us back to climate action, the reform of global governance, which takes us to the reform of international financial architecture and the digital issues, all the while reaffirming the importance of international law. So the Pact for the Future provides us with an opportunity to restore trust amongst nations and revitalize our collective action. And we will implement this common action, common work, which was voted upon by the General Assembly. It's the will of the General Assembly. So we put all of our will into the Pact of the Future. Now, on the priorities, of course, Africa is a priority when it comes to financing for development, security, fighting terrorism, etc. But Africa also has possibilities and opportunities that it provides, for example, critical minerals. It has environmental transition there. It also has a role to play and it will need to put forth its resources and create value added and jobs. And I think the Pact for the Future should enable us to move in the right direction. Now, what would I do differently compared to the current Secretary General? First of all, I would pay tribute to Mr. Antonio Guterres. I think he has done everything he could. I think he was in a very difficult time and situation and I would be too. But this is not a discouragement. This would mean that I have to work together with Member States to. To move our agenda forward and always have a dialogue with them.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation, followed as the last speaker by Djibouti.

Madam President, the Russian Federation is of the view that we need to select the most worthy candidate in line with the high standards of professionalism, competency and commitment to the principles of the Charter, as they are all interlinked. Take into account the earlier questions. Let me limit myself to the following. First, Mr. Macy Sal. Does the Secretary General have the right to be guided by General assembly decisions which are not consensus and outside of the General assembly authority under the Charter, especially when this issue is being considered by the Secretary General? Second, do you think that the Charter issues can be arranged according to priorities? This is something that the current Secretary General is doing and decides where Self determination is a priority where the issue of territorial integrity is one. Thank you. Please.

Mr. Sall Nasibuk, thank you very much.

To the representative of the Russian Federation. Well, I won't say anything with regard to the norms pertaining to the choice of the Secretary General. Let me move on to your first question. The Secretary General must base himself on the decisions of the General assembly which are not always consensual. Well, there are two kinds of UN resolutions. There are binding resolutions voted upon by the Security Council on matters submitted to them, particularly issues of peace and security. And we also have resolutions of the General assembly which sometimes do not have are not binding in nature and where we need to assess their relevance and see what solutions we can provide. As I said just now, there are more than 40,000 resolutions that have been passed and only 4,000 of those have been implemented. So overall, Member States and the Secretariat need to think about changes in the working methods when it comes to certain areas. Do we want to make more progress with the General assembly and on matters related to peace and security which are the remit of the Security Council to ensure that those subjects are dealt with properly. And how can we encourage the P5 in particular to drive forward this agenda? That's, I think what I would do. I would always respect the Charter and I would take a fair position with regard to all members of the General assembly, particularly members of the Security council and the P5.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Djibouti as the last speaker of the these interactive dialogues. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you very much. Madam President, for the last two days. I would also like to thank President Macky Sall for his presentation. Mr. President, at a time of worsening debt crisis, declining official development assistance and insufficient climate change, how do you really intend to advocate for fundamental reform of the International Fund financial architecture and responds to the reality and priorities of developing countries, including LDCs, particularly in Africa.

Merci. Please. Mr. Sal,

thank you very much. The representative of Djibouti. I spoke about 40,000 mandates just now. Resolutions, debt. The debt is going up and ODA is going down. And that's the situation we face. So we need to find an alternative. And that alternative is the new financial architecture to see through what alternative mechanism we can strengthen ODA. And also give support to private sector funding with relevant guarantees. That's something that is being discussed and I'd like, if I may, to draw some general conclusions. Now,

the world challenge remind us of one essential truth. Our destiny is shared that is why the United nations remains indispensable. It was created because no nation can face today's challenges alone. 80 years on, that truth still holds. In a divided world, we must rebuild trust and the will to act together. It is in the service of that shared destiny that I seek to serve the United Nations. And I thank you, Madam President.

I thank you. Thank you, Mr. Sall. We have now come to the end of this interactive dialogue. I would like to thank Mr. Sall. And I would like to thank you member States and Civil Society for your contribution. And if you could keep a bit silent for the last seconds, because I would like to also thank in the Name of all 193 member states, the team who work and made this interactive dialogues possible. In particular, I would like to recognize the conference officers, the sound engineers, the interpreters, the security officers, the webcast team, the media team, the Civil Society team, the protocol team, the Secretariat of the General assembly and the team of my office in the opga. Thank you very much for this joint effort being better together and also to your individual contributions we saw today. They are highly appreciated. I wish you all a good evening. The meeting is adjourned. I thank you. Thank you very much.