CSABA KŐRÖSI (Hungary), President of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly, delivered closing remarks, stating that in the general debate, the Assembly heard from 190 speakers, including 76 Heads of State, 50 Heads of Government, 4 Vice-Presidents, 5 Deputy Prime Ministers, 48 ministers and 7 Heads of Delegations — of which 23 were women.  He highlighted that there were some commonalities in the statements delivered.  Sensing a growing awareness that humanity has entered a new era, he underscored that the international community has reached a time of a paradigm shift.  “Because the movements, the adjustments that we see around us cannot be called mere modifications any longer:  they are significant transformations in the making,” he added.

He further noted that another reverberating message was that the war in Ukraine should end.  The war has led to concerns of shortages, inflation and the impact of refugees as well as the safety of nuclear plants.  It is one of nearly 30 armed conflicts worldwide, he stressed, and none of these situations are improving.  Turning to climate change, he highlighted that the Assembly heard calls to achieve net‑zero emissions and appeals to assist countries most affected by climate change, while pointing out that “some of us are still not convinced that growing our economies can be balanced with limiting emissions and preserving biodiversity.”  Also noting that there were calls for improving the state of human rights, he underscored that the freedom of speaking out is strongly supported.

On modernizing the Organization, he shared that such calls are in line with his conviction that the Assembly should be able to respond better to the interlocking crises, while the Security Council must reflect the realities of this century.  Finally, he stated that the international community is all in agreement on the main challenges — it wants a peaceful post-COVID‑19 world with increased trust where it can work together to mitigate and adapt to climate change.  “To deepen solidarity, we must build trust,” he concluded.