Remarks at the Reception to Commemorate the United Nations Day by the Resident Coordinator Dr. Babatunde Ahonsi

Today, we celebrate 79 years of the United Nations—an organization born from the hope of a war-torn world and sustained by the enduring belief in a better, more peaceful future. The UN is a reflection of the world as it is, but also of the world we know it can be: a world of peace, sustainable development, and human rights for all where no one is left behind.

As we gather here to mark this year’s United Nations Day, we are reminded that the Charter of the United Nations, which came into force 79 years ago, remains our guiding light. It points us toward unity in the face of division, and toward collective action in the face of crisis.

Conflicts rage, polarization deepens. We are in 2024 and there is global hunger. It is shameful that in our world of plenty, around one person in ten regularly goes to sleep without food for an entire day or more – this is qualified as severe food insecurity. 

The climate crisis is accelerating; complex new technologies are emerging; the SDGs are falling behind. 

In these challenging times, the UN remains the indispensable multilateral convening platform to address the complexities we face today. From the devastation of war to the climate emergency, and from growing inequalities to the challenges of new technologies like artificial intelligence, the world’s problems require solutions that no single country can provide alone.

21st century challenges require 21st century solutions: frameworks that are networked and inclusive; and that draw on the expertise of all of humanity.  

The Pact for the Future, adopted by member states in late September during the Summit of the Future, reaffirms our shared commitment to address these challenges with renewed vigor. It recognizes that sustainable development, in all its dimensions, is a central objective of multilateralism. Leaving no one behind remains at the heart of our work, and we are committed to accelerating progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Pact for the Future will renew the international system: so that it meets the moment and is fit for the future. We need multilateralism that is more inclusive, more effective, and more networked, with stronger links between international institutions and with the people.
 
That means greater representation of developing countries. And it means a stronger voice for all of you and what you represent. The world belongs to us all. People want a say in the decisions that affect them.

And while governments have a primary responsibility that we do not deny, we will not solve today’s global problems without contributions from all segments in society, like civil society organizations, academia, young people and private sector. 

This Pact also acknowledges the urgent need to address climate change, which is among the greatest challenges of our time. We must continue to uphold our commitments under the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, recognizing that the most vulnerable countries often bear the brunt of this crisis.

We are facing supercharged climate dangers. The coming year is crucial for climate action. Every country must produce a new national climate action plan that aligns with limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We also need to get finance flowing to climate action, including: significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund; an ambitious finance outcome at the ongoing COP29 in Baku; and developed countries honoring their promise to increase adaptation finance to at least 40 billion dollars a year by 2025.

On Finance we must keep pushing for reform of the international financial architecture. We need ambitious reforms. Today it fails to provide developing countries with the support or safety net they need.  

The leadership of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund is commendable, but the resources available are still dwarfed by the scale of the needs.

All parts of the global financial system must work together to reduce the cost of finance and the inequalities that blight our world.  

Many developing countries are being hit by a double whammy of climate chaos and debt.

To support low- and middle-income developing countries effectively, multilateral development banks must be bigger, bolder and better.

We need a far more robust financial safety net to shield countries in a world of frequent shocks.

The Pact for the Future calls for groundbreaking reforms and urges G20 countries to lead on an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion a year, substantially increasing the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks, and enabling them to massively scale-up affordable long-term climate and development finance. 

All this is essential for developing countries to be able to implement the Agenda 2030 and to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.

But achieving the SDGs requires more than just financial reform—it requires an overhaul in how we approach governance and inclusivity globally.

We should reaffirm our pledge to build inclusive and just societies by upholding international law and intensifying diplomacy to resolve conflicts peacefully. We should commit to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its promise of dignity and freedom for all people. And we are unequivocal in our stand against inequality, discrimination, and violence—especially against women and girls, whose full participation is critical to achieving all our goals. 

We are confident that the actions outlined in the Pact for the Future will help us advance global governance, strengthen international peace and security, promote science and technology for development, and engage young people in shaping their future.

The Global Digital Compact one of the annexes of the Pact for the Future is based on the principle that technology should benefit everyone. It includes the first truly universal agreement on the international governance of Artificial Intelligence. It commits governments to establishing an independent international Scientific Panel on AI and initiating a global dialogue on its governance within the United Nations.

The Global Digital Compact represents the first collective effort to reach agreed interoperability standards – essential for consistent measurement.  And it supports networks and partnerships to build capacity on AI in developing countries.  In a world increasingly driven by technology, our responsibility is to ensure that artificial intelligence benefits everyone and harms no one. The Global Digital Compact is a groundbreaking effort to ensure this.

The second annex of the Pact, the Declaration on Future Generations echoes the call of the United Nations Charter to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, committing governments for the first time to taking the interests of our descendants into account in decisions we take today. 

Respect for human rights, cultural diversity and gender equality are woven into all three agreements. 

Türkiye, as a founding member of the United Nations, has long been a steadfast advocate of the UN as the cornerstone of the multilateral system. It has sustained constructive, productive, and forward-thinking relations with the UN at global, regional, and national levels. UN agencies, funds, and programmes in the country will continue to collaborate with the government and other partners —both collectively and individually—working diligently and strategically to support Türkiye in realizing its vision of becoming a developed, high-income nation that benefits all its citizens and residents, ensuring no one is left behind. 

As we look ahead, let us remember the words of the Secretary-General: “We are a divided world, but we can—and must—be united nations.” So, as we mark this year’s United Nations Day today, let us commit ourselves with hope and determination to build the better world of our aspirations, not only for ourselves but for future generations. 

Dear friends of the UN, here in Türkiye, we have witnessed firsthand the power of unity in the face of crisis, especially with the twin earthquakes in 2023. As we face global challenges, let us remember that the decisions we make today shape the world for generations to come.