Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Dr Satyendra Prasad, today paid a courtesy call on the President of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Miroslav Lacjak.

In commending President Lacjak for his steady leadership of the UN General Assembly at its current session, Ambassador Prasad also congratulated the PGA on convening the Youth Dialogue held in the UN Headquarters on Wednesday 30 May. In this age of modernisation and intergenerational complexities, it is important that the youths are engaged in decision-making processes on matters that affect them directly. In that context, Ambassador Prasad noted that the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals require the involvement and direct participation of young people everywhere. He also highlighted Fiji’s close attention to the issues of climate change, ocean advocacy, and ensuring that tangible financing assistance flows to countries like Fiji that enable our people to connect the dots between their personal and local community needs and global ideals.

During their discussion on a range of global topical issues, Mr Lacjak underscored that the core theme of his Presidency of the UN General Assembly is to ensure that the United Nations is not in a bubble of its own but is relevant to the people of the world. The UN’s role and its significance is in the fact that it is the single multilateral body where the voice of all member States are heard and all countries, no matter how big or small, can make a difference. He further emphasised the importance of protecting the UN’s place in global society where it is a force of law rather than allow a situation where there is no inclusive multilateral body and force is the law.

Ambassador Prasad assured President Lacjak of his readiness to work in support of the UN General Assembly’s mandates of reform and other issues of importance to Fiji. Ambassador Prasad welcomed the President’s efforts to reform the UN development system. The UNGA approved the most comprehensive reform of the UN development system in decades later in the day. These reforms will help to reposition the UN country offices to support Government to implement its development priorities more coherently and effectively.  

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