Ecuadorean FM Maria Garces elected President of 73rd UNGA session

Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces was today elected the President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, becoming only the fourth women to lead the world body in its seven-decades long history.

Garces joins the small list of female assembly presidents. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, veteran Indian diplomat and sister of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was the first woman to be elected President of the General Assembly in as early as 1953.

Later, Angie Elisabeth Brooks of Liberia was elected president in 1969 and Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain in 2006.

Garces will succeed Miroslav Lajcak, who is Slovakia's foreign minister, as president of the world body for a year, starting September this year when the new General Assembly session will commence.

 

The President of the 73rd session of the General Assembly had to be elected from the Latin American and Caribbean Group, following the principle of geographical rotation.

Normally, the regional groups nominate a single candidate who is then elected by acclamation but since Latin Americans countries could not find consensus on any single candidate, elections were held to choose between Ambassador Mary Elizabeth Flores Flake, Permanent Representative of Honduras to the United Nations and Garces.

Garces got 128 votes in a secret ballot conducted today by the 193-members of the UN's most representative body. The UN General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all Member States have equal representation - one nation, one vote.

Flake got 62 votes.

Lajcak said Garces will be only the fourth female President of the General Assembly in 73 years, which is "not a record to be proud of."

Flake, in her vision statement, said the office of the President of the General Assembly in her tenure will focus on peace and international cooperation and development of international law.

A key priority will be supporting the work of member states and Secretary General in the ongoing process of reforms and revamping of the world organization. During the 73rd session all efforts and initiatives will also be dedicated on behalf of children and their wellbeing, with special consideration to the most vulnerable.

Garces' vision statement said that she will focus on dialogue and strengthening of multilateralism as a catalyst for the well-being of all persons and a sustainable planet.

Her priority would also be to guide the work of the General Assembly in an open, effective, transparent and inclusive manner, providing continuity and strengthening initiatives and achievements by former Presidencies, according to the mandates of Member States.

She said she would also work to "bring the United Nations closer to the people, with permanent actions to make sure that the United Nations work is known and appreciated by global society. People should feel and recognize that the United Nations has the capacity to face and solve conflicts and humankind's challenges."

In 2017, the General Assembly decided to establish a new process for the selection of the President of the General Assembly.

For the first time this year, the Assembly decided to conduct informal interactive dialogues with candidates for the position of President of the General Assembly, aimed at contributing to the transparency and inclusivity of the process.

The candidates were called upon to present to the Assembly their vision statements and an informal interactive dialogue with the candidates was held early last month.