General Assembly: 18th plenary meeting, 80th session General Assembly Date: 14 October 2025 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/ga/80/18 Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- GA · PGA [0:05]: Good morning, everybody. The 18th plenary meeting of the General Assembly is called to order. The Assembly will now consider the report of the Fifth Committee on agenda item 140, entitled, "Scale of assessments for the appointment of the expenses of the United Nations." The documentation under these items is listed in the Journal of the United Nations. The positions of delegations regarding the recommendations of the Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. Therefore, if there is no proposal under rule 66 of the Rules of Procedure, I shall take it that the Assembly decides not to discuss the report of the Committee which is before the Assembly today. It is so decided. Statements will therefore be limited to the explanations of vote. We will proceed to take a decision in the same manner as was done in the Committee, unless notified otherwise in advance. I therefore hope that we may proceed to adopt without a vote the recommendation that was adopted without a vote in the committee. The Assembly has before it a draft resolution recommended by the committee in its report. Before giving the floor for explanations of vote before the vote, may I remind delegations that they are strongly encouraged to limit explanations of vote to five minutes. which should in any case not exceed 10 minutes and be made from their seats. In accordance with decision 34/401, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, that is, either in the committee or in the plenary meeting, unless the delegation's vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the committee. The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution entitled "Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations: request under Article 19 of the Charter", recommended by the Committee in its report. The Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same? It is so decided. The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 140. So we have just heard that there is an explanation of vote after the vote. Before giving the floor for explanations of vote after the vote, may I remind delegations that they are strongly urged to limit explanation of vote to five minutes, which should in any case not exceed 10 minutes, and be made from their seats. In accordance with decision 34/401, a delegation should as far as possible explain its vote only once. that is either in the committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation's vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the committee. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Afghanistan. Afghanistan [4:02]: Thank you, Madam President. My delegation wishes to place on record its deep concern and disappointment that, for the second consecutive year, the Committee on Contributions has failed to reach agreement on our justified request under Article 19. While we appreciate those members of the committee who demonstrated understanding and support, it is disheartening that a few experts, particularly from our region, did not uphold the independence and impartiality expected of this body. Despite the clear facts and exceptional circumstances we presented, our legitimate request grounded in the principles of the UN Charter and the General Assembly's rules of procedure was regrettably disregarded. The Committee's failure to reinstate Afghanistan's right to vote and grant an exemption under Article 19 is both deeply concerning and disheartening for my country. We recognize the importance of Member States fulfilling their financial obligations to the United Nations. However, Afghanistan is currently enduring extraordinary political, social, and economic challenges that severely limit our capacity to meet these obligations. These challenges stem largely from the Taliban's failure and unwillingness to address the ongoing crisis, break the impasse, and engage constructively with national and international calls for an accountable, responsible, and inclusive system of governance. This includes respect for human rights and dignity, the rightful inclusion of women in all aspects of society, and a commitment to counterterrorism efforts. The situation has been further compounded by geopolitical tensions and the absence of a strong, cohesive international approach to addressing Afghanistan's crisis. Our situation is not one of neglecting or unwillingness, but it directly linked to circumstances beyond our control. Article 19 of UN Charter acknowledges such cases and provides for exemption. We firmly believe our case fully meets these criteria. What concern us even more is that the work of the Committee on Contribution, which is well defined with a technical and advisory role, appears to have taken on political dimension. This has undermined This undermines the fairness of the process and raises serious concerns about the impartiality that should guide the Committee's deliberations. Afghanistan remains steadfast in its commitment to the United Nations and the principles upon which it stands. Denying us the right to vote at this critical juncture further isolates us and limits our ability to engage meaningfully in the work of this Assembly. We wish to place on record that while the current circumstances facing Afghanistan are temporary and will one day pass, the decisions made during this period and the lack of understanding, fairness and politicization shown will be remembered by my people and nation. We therefore urge member states and notably the experts serving on the committee to uphold the principles and mandate entrusted to them to review such requests with impartiality, fairness, and balance, and to duly recognize the unprecedented challenges that our nation continues to face. Thank you, Madam Chair. GA · PGA [7:46]: I thank the speaker of Afghanistan. This was the only speaker in explanation of vote after the vote. So I would again conclude that the Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 140. The Assembly will now take up, under agenda item 7, a request submitted by the Secretary General in document A/80/438 for the inclusion of an additional item in the agenda. As indicated in his note, the Secretary-General requests, pursuant to rule 15 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, the inclusion in the agenda of the 80th session of an additional item entitled "Financing of the United Nations Support Office in Haiti". Owing to the nature of the item, unless there is an objection, May I take it that the Assembly agrees to waive the relevant provision of Rule 40 of the Rules of Procedure, which would require a meeting of the General Committee on the question of the inclusion of this additional item in the agenda? I see no objection. It is so decided. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to include in the agenda of the current session an additional item entitled "Financing of the United Nations Support Office in Haiti" under heading I, entitled "Organizational, administrative and other matters"? It is so decided. The item is therefore included as item 177. In his note, the Secretary-General further requests that the item be allocated to the Fifth Committee. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to allocate this item to the Fifth Committee? It is so decided. The Chair of the Fifth Committee will be informed of the decision just taken. The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 7. The Assembly will consider sub-item c of agenda item 114 for the election of members of the Human Rights Council to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 2025. The outgoing members are as follows-- Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Georgia, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Morocco, Romania, South Africa, Sudan, and Vietnam. In accordance with operative paragraph 7 of Resolution 60/251 of March 15, 2006, These members are eligible for immediate re-election, except those who have served two consecutive terms, namely Germany and Sudan. The 14 vacant seats are distributed among the regional groups as follows: four seats for the African states, four seats for the Asia-Pacific states, two seats for the Eastern European states, two seats for the Latin American and Caribbean States, and two seats for the Western European and other States. The Assembly will now proceed to the election of members of the Human Rights Council. In accordance with resolution 60/251, Membership in the Council shall be open to all States Members of the United Nations, and the members of the Council shall serve for a period of three years. The members of the Council shall be elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the Assembly. Accordingly, 97 votes constitute a majority in the General Assembly that has a membership of 193 States. The following States will continue to be members of the Human Rights Council: Albania, Benin, Plurinational State of Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, China, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, France, Gambia, Ghana, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Kingdom of the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand. The names of these States, therefore, should not appear on the ballot papers. This election will be held in accordance with the relevant Rules of Procedure of the Assembly on elections. In this regard, Rule 94 shall be applied. Consistent with the practice of the Assembly, if more than the required number of Member States have obtained the votes of the majority of the members of the Assembly on the same ballot, Those Member States which have obtained the largest numbers of votes above the required majority will be considered as elected up to the number of seats to be filled. Also, consistent with past practice, if, due to a tie vote, it becomes necessary to determine a candidate or candidates to be elected, or that it will proceed to the next round of restricted balloting, there will be a special restricted ballot limited to those candidates that have obtained an equal number of votes. May I take it that the Assembly agrees with the proposed way forward? It is so decided. Regarding the candidates, the Secretariat has been informed that for the four vacant seats for African states, four endorsed candidates have been communicated, namely Angola, Egypt, Mauritius and South Africa. For the four vacant seats for the Asia-Pacific states, four endorsed candidates have been communicated, namely India, Iraq, Pakistan, and Vietnam. For the two vacant seats for Eastern European states, two candidates have been communicated, namely Estonia and Slovenia. For the two vacant seats for Latin American and Caribbean states, two candidates have been communicated, namely Chile and Ecuador. For the two vacant seats for Western European and other states, two candidates have been communicated, namely Italy and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Voluntary pledges and commitments made by Member States in accordance with operative paragraph 8 of resolution 60/251 were issued as official documents of the Assembly. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind Members that, pursuant to Rule 88 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. Any announcements, including those concerning withdrawals of candidatures, should therefore be made prior to the commencement of the voting process. That is to say, before the announcement of the beginning of the voting process. In addition, ballot papers will only be given to the delegate seated directly behind the country's nameplate. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers will now be distributed and the voting has thus begun. In accordance with resolution 71/323 of September 8, 2017, the names of the states have been communicated to the Secretariat at least 48 hours prior to the election today, have been printed on the ballot papers for each of the regional groups, Also, additional blank lines corresponding to the number of vacant seats to be filled for each of the regional groups have been provided on the ballot papers for inscribing other names if desirable. I request representatives to use only those ballot papers that have been distributed and to put an X in the boxes next to the names whom they wish to vote for. and/or write other legible names on the blank lines. If the box next to the name of a state is checked, the name of the state does not have to be repeated on the blank line. The total number of checked boxes and/or handwritten names should not exceed the number of vacant seats to be filled as indicated on the ballot paper. A ballot paper will be declared invalid if it contains more names of eligible member states from the relevant region than the number of seats allocated to it. Accordingly, for the ballot papers marked A for African states, the total number of check boxes and/or handwritten names should not exceed four. For the ballot papers marked B for Asia-Pacific states, the total number of checked boxes and/or handwritten names should not exceed four. For the ballot papers marked C, for Eastern European States, the total number of checked boxes and/or handwritten names should not exceed two. For the ballot papers marked D, for Latin American and Caribbean States, the total number of checked boxes and/or handwritten names should not exceeds two. And for the ballot papers marked E for Western European and other states, the total number of checked boxes and/or handwritten names should not exceed two. A ballot paper will be declared invalid if none of the names of the member states on the ballot paper for which votes were cast belongs to the relevant region, or if all the votes on the ballot are for member states that are not eligible for election. In this regard, I recall that the following Member States are not eligible for election: Member States that will continue to be members of the Council next year; Member States that are currently serving their second consecutive term in the Council. If a ballot paper for a region contains one of the following: the ballot paper remains valid, but the votes for these Member States will not be counted. Member States that do not belong to the region concerned or Member States that continue to be members of the Council next year or Member States that are currently serving their second consecutive term in the Council. If a ballot paper contains any notation other than votes in favour of eligible Member States, Those notations will be disregarded. I invite the representatives of the following states to serve as tellers to accompany the conference officers as they collect the ballot papers: Bhutan, Croatia, Lesotho, Namibia, Suriname, and Turkey. I thank you. Please proceed to collect the ballot papers. Speaker 4 [24:32]: Okay. GA · PGA [25:19]: I thank the tellers. May I request delegations who have not voted to do so now by approaching the podium to cast their votes. We don't see any. The voting is now closed. No more ballot papers will be accepted. In the interest of time, So, last second. So, the voting is now closed. No more ballot papers will be accepted. In the interest of time, the Assembly will now proceed to consider the other item announced in the United Nations Journal, while the ballots are being counted. The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item C of agenda item 114. The Assembly will resume its consideration of agenda item 13, entitled "Integrated and coordinated implementation and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social, and related fields, to take action on a proposal announced in the journal. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to introduce draft resolution A/80/L.4. Bolivia (Plurinational State of) · LLDCs [27:12]: Madam President, distinguished delegates, it's my distinct honor to introduce, on behalf of the landlocked developing countries, the draft resolution contained in document A/80/L.4, entitled Endorsement of the Awaasa Program of Action. This resolution is done as the formal outcome of a landmark gathering, the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, held in Aşgabat, Turkmenistan, this past August. We want to begin by expressing our profound gratitude to the government and people of Turkmenistan for their exceptional hospitality and for successfully hosting this critical conference under the resonant theme, driving progress through partnership. Distinguished delegates, the challenge faced by landlocked developing countries are not merely logistical. They are fundamental constraints on development, prosperity and resilience. The lack of territorial access to the sea, compounded by high transit cost, Inadequate infrastructure and distance from global markets creates a unique set of obstacles. These nations face a disproportionate burden in a world grappling with overlapping crisis from climate change and biodiversity loss to economic instability and geopolitical tensions. The draft resolution before you today endorses the Owaso political declaration, which provides a powerful collective response to these challenges. It builds upon the legacy of the Almaty and Vienna program of actions. Learning from past shortfalls and setting a renewed, ambitious, and action-oriented course for the next decade. The AWASA Program of Action, which this political declaration champions, is structured around five mutually reinforced priorities. One, structural transformation through science, technology, and innovation. Two, enhancing trade, facilitation, trade, and regional integration. Three, critical investment in transit, transport, and connectivity. Four, enhancing resilience to climate change and disasters. Five, and mobilizing the means of implementation under international law. This is not just a list of aspiration. It's a framework for tangible deliverables, including exploring the establishment of a dedicated infrastructure investment facility, a regional agriculture research hub, and creating a high-level panel of experts on freedom of transit. Madam President, the title of the conference, "Driving Progress Through Partnership," must be our guiding principle. This resolution is a call to action for all of us. It invites landlocked and transit countries to strengthen national ownership and leadership, and development partners and multilateral banks to increase investment, particularly in infrastructure and concessional finance. Also invites the entire United Nations system to integrate these goals into their work program and ensure robust follow-up. On the ladder, we emphasize the crucial role of the Office of the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS. led by Under-Secretary Madam Rabab Fatima and the United Nations country teams in this endeavor, which must be adequately resourced and supported to turn these commitments into reality. In conclusion, by endorsing this draft resolution, we do more than adopt a text. We send a clear message of shared responsibility. We affirm our commitment to ensuring that no nation is left behind because of its geography. Therefore, we urge all member states to join the broad sponsorship of this resolution and support its adoption by consensus. Let us act with urgency and unity and deliver on the promise of the Ouagadougou Programme of Action for the decade to come. I thank you, Madam President. GA · PGA [32:12]: I thank the distinguished representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/80/L.4. For your information, the draft resolution has closed for e-sponsorship. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat. UN Secretariat [32:32]: Madam President, I should like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution, and in addition to the delegations listed on the document, The following countries have also become co-sponsors of A/80/L.4: Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Croatia, Finland, Gambia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia if any other delegations wish to co-sponsor a stroke 80 stroke L4 please signify by pressing the microphone button now I see Belgium Vietnam Lesotho, although Lesotho is already on the L document. China. Denmark. Hungary. South Sudan, although South Sudan is also already on the L document. Malta. Greece, Angola, Cyprus, and Ireland, and Slovakia. That concludes the additional co-sponsors. Thank you, Madam President. GA · PGA [34:38]: I thank the representative of the Secretariat. The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution A/80/L.4, entitled "Avassa Political Declaration." May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/80/L.4? It is so decided. The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 13. I now suspend the meeting for 30 minutes to allow for the completion of the counting of ballots. The meeting is suspended for 30 minutes, so latest quarter past 11. Speaker 10 [55:13]: Yeah. Play all songs of the Kapil Sharma Show. Play all songs of Naagleela. Play from the Kapil Sharma Show. Start, here we go again. Start, here we go again! Play from the Kapil Sharma Show. GA · PGA [1:28:36]: Thank you for your patience. The plenary meeting is resumed. The Assembly will resume its consideration of sub-item C of agenda item 114 for the election of members of the Human Rights Council. The result of the voting is as follows. Group A, African States. Four seats. Results of the vote. Number of ballot papers, 190. Number of invalid ballots, zero. Number of valid ballots, 190. Abstentions, three. Number of members present and voting, 187. Required majority, 97. Number of votes obtained by each member state. Mauritius 181, Angola 179, South Africa 178, Egypt 173. Group B, Asia-Pacific States, four seats. Result of the vote. Number of ballot papers, 190. Number of invalid ballots, zero. Number of valid ballots, 190. Abstentions, two. Number of members present and voting, 188. Required majority, 97. Number of votes obtained by each member state, Vietnam, 180. Pakistan, 178. India, 177. Iraq, 175. Group C, Eastern European States, two seats. Results of the vote. Number of ballot papers, 190. Number of invalid ballots, zero. Number of valid ballots, 190. Abstentions, 11. Number of members present and voting: 179. 97. Number of votes obtained by each member state: Slovenia 176, Estonia 171. Latin American and Caribbean States, 2 seats. Results of the vote. Number of ballot papers, 190. Number of invalid ballots, 0. Number of valid ballots, 190. Abstentions, 10. Number of members present and voting, 180. Required majority, 97. Number of votes obtained by each member state, Chile, 173. Ecuador, 171. Group E, Western European and other states, two seats. Results of the vote. Number of ballot papers, 190. Number of invalid ballots, zero. Number of valid ballots, 190. Abstentions, 10. Number of members present and voting, 180. Required majority, 97. Number of votes obtained by each member state. Italy, 179. United Kingdom, 161. The following 14 states have thus been elected members of the Human Rights Council for a three-year term of office beginning on January 1, 2026. Angola, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, India, Iraq, Italy, Mauritius, Pakistan, Slovenia, South Africa, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Vietnam. I congratulate the States. Yes, there could be an applause. I congratulate the States. I congratulate the States which have been elected members of the Human Rights Council, and I thank the tellers for their assistance in this election. The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of sub-item C of agenda item 114. The meeting is adjourned. I wish you all a good day.