66th Presidency – United Nations General Assembly, celebrated in Qatar

A concert by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra quavered the UN General Assembly Hall recently.

This cultural event celebrated the 66th presidency of the United Nations General Assembly and it honored the work of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.

In this feature prepared by Florence “Beng” Poblete-Enriquez, you will hear a fusion of vocalizations and music from the concert.

The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Comprising all 193 Members of the United Nations, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter. The Assembly meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year, and thereafter as required.

Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, 57, who was elected today at the UN by acclamation, will succeed Joseph Deiss of Switzerland when he takes over the presidency in mid-September as the 66th session of the General Assembly begins.

Accepting the post with “great honour,” Al-Nasser proposed that “the role of mediation in the settlement of disputes by peaceful means” serve as the theme for the high-level debate slated to be held at the opening of the Assembly’s next session.

He pledged also to try to work as a bridge between countries rich and poor to help build consensus on key issues such as hunger, poverty, terrorism and climate change.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated Al-Nasser on his election, noting that he has long been a supporter of the General Assembly.

“As you once said: ‘An enduring characteristic of this Organization is that – irrespective of the political and practical changes – the General Assembly remains its most inclusive body’,” Ban said.

Following the special meeting Al-Nasser met journalists outside the General Assembly hall.

Commenting on the Palestinian authority’s plan to push for a UN General Assembly resolution recognizing it as an independent state he said that he had no idea yet what the Palestinians wanted to do, adding that “at the end of the day it’s up to the Member States to do that.”

Asked to comment on what the General Assembly could do to support Arab countries he said that as an Arab he hoped that the issue of Arab Human Rights would be dealt through the Arab League and added that “for some countries their issue Security Council took the initiative to deal with that, others not yet, nothing. I cannot comment on something which I am not aware yet.”

A Qatari diplomat since November 1972, Al-Nasser has served in postings for his Government in Beirut, Islamabad and Dubai among others. His longest posting has been in New York.

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (UN Trust Fund) is a testimony to the global consciousness that violence against women and girls is neither inevitable nor acceptable. The UN Trust Fund is a leading global grant-making mechanism exclusively dedicated to addressing violence against women and girls in all its forms. It supports effective initiatives that demonstrate that violence against women and girls can be systematically addressed, reduced and, with persistence, eliminated. To date, the UN Trust Fund has delivered more than USD 78 million to 339 initiatives in 127 countries and territories.

Established by UN General Assembly resolution 50/166 in 1996 and administered by UN Women on behalf of the UN system, the UN Trust Fund works with non-governmental organizations, governments and UN country teams to:

Prevent violence against women and girls by empowering groups especially at risk of violence, including adolescent girls and indigenous or ethnic minority women, and engaging strategic groups such as youth, men and boys, and traditional and faith-based leaders in prevention efforts;

Expand the access of women and girl survivors of violence to services including legal assistance, psychosocial counseling, health care, and building the capacity of service providers to respond effectively to the needs of women and girls affected by violence;

Strengthen the implementation of laws, policies and action plans on violence against women and girls through data collection and analysis, building capacities of service providers and strengthening institutions to become more effective, transparent and accountable in addressing violence against women.

By supporting actions where they matter most, the UN Trust Fund is uniquely placed to meet the most urgent needs of women and girls and their communities. The programs supported by the UN Trust Fund also contribute directly to the advancement of the goals of the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign on the ground. The UN Trust Fund grants are awarded annually through an open, transparent process that ensures quality programming and rigor in the selection of grantees. The grant-making process is highly competitive. For instructions on how to apply, please consult the Application Guidelines.

If you have questions, please contact the UN Trust Fund Secretariat.