“We thank Azerbaijan, as Chair of NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) , for pushing for this very important session and the General Assembly for accepting to hold the special session. The proposal to hold a special session on the pandemic by the General Assembly is a veritable platform to mobilise global commitment against the pandemic,” said President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UN GA) Tijjani Muhammad Bande as he addressed the First Informal Consultation on the Draft Resolution on the Modalities for the 31st Special Session of the General Assembly in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The co-facilitators with your cooperation and support, have produced a solid draft as a good basis for negotiation. And I trust that the special session will ensure greater involvement of world leaders toward a result-oriented response to the pandemic. This will further strengthen the General Assembly as a critical global partner in the fight against the pandemic and its impact on lives and livelihood,” the UN General Assembly president noted.

“Indeed, I trust that this special session will be a vehicle for a coordinated response from the international community. I am already encouraged by the keen interest of many member states in the success of the special session and as such; I commend those of you who have made important contributions leading to this point,” Muhammad Bande emphasized.

“In the same vein, I call on all member states to work closely with the co-facilitators in the spirit of cooperation during the process. I enjoin you to avail yourself of today’s deliberations as a platform to share experiences on modalities to address the pandemic. The current situation underscores the necessity to work together to defeat COVID-19, and to strengthen multilateral cooperation.

Indeed as you strive to ensure a better world for all, the Office of the President of the General Assembly will remain your partner, enhancing global partnerships for sustainable development,” he added.