The former Cameroonian prime minister took over the presidency of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Tuesday, calling on the world’s divided nations to come together and act to address global challenges, from climate change to poverty, conflict and armed violence.
Philemon Yang told the 193-member world body that there were doubts about the ability of nations to join forces to tackle these and other pressing issues. But he added: “We must demonstrate that international cooperation remains the most effective tool at our disposal to address the deep and borderless problems we face.
Mr Yang, a former diplomat who served as prime minister of his West African country from 2009 to 2019, said the cornerstone of his one-year presidency “will be built on the principles of unity in diversity” . He added that peace and security would continue to be “of paramount importance” during his presidency.