Shibbir Ahmed, New York — United Nations General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman has made restoring trust in the United Nations the central theme of his one-year presidency, saying the organization needs to respond to unmet expectations on peace, development and human rights. Rahman, a senior Bangladeshi diplomat and Bangladesh’s sitting foreign minister, took the gavel as president of the 81st session of the General Assembly. In an interview with UN News, he said the UN faces a “crisis of confidence” and needs a transformation to meet the challenges of the modern world.
Speaking as High-Level Week gets underway, Rahman described the gathering of world leaders as a major expression of the UN General Assembly’s convening power. He said he would closely examine what world leaders say about rebuilding trust in the organization and use their views to guide his presidency.
Rahman said the United Nations was founded in 1945 with the ambition of preventing another global conflict. While he noted that the world has avoided another large-scale global war and that the UN has made progress in development, he said many conflicts have not been prevented and development progress has often been slow.
He also highlighted human rights as an area requiring greater attention, saying the UN spends about four percent of its total spending on human rights. Rahman said work across the UN’s peace and security, development and human rights pillars is needed to rebuild confidence in the organization.
AI poses a new challenge
Rahman identified artificial intelligence as one of the major challenges distinguishing today’s world from the era when the UN was founded. He said AI could accelerate human progress but could also create serious risks. While innovation should continue, he argued that safeguards are needed to ensure the technology serves humanity. He called for governments, developers and users to participate in discussions on the responsible development and use of AI.
Assembly’s role
Responding to criticism that General Assembly resolutions lack the authority of Security Council decisions, Rahman emphasized the Assembly’s ability to bring countries together. He said the Assembly provides heads of government and state with a setting to discuss serious international issues and seek solutions through diplomacy. He also said the Assembly will continue to play a role in establishing international norms and providing broader direction for the international community.
Rohingya crisis
Rahman also reflected on his experience working on the Rohingya crisis, describing it as a grave humanitarian crisis and highlighting the resilience of refugees and their desire to return home. He said the crisis reinforced his belief that violence does not provide a lasting solution and that dialogue and negotiation are necessary to resolve conflicts. Looking toward the end of his presidency, Rahman said he hopes to see progress on UN reform, the organization’s financial sustainability and faster delivery at the local level.
