The United Nations General Assembly on Friday unanimously elected John W. Ashe, ambassador to the United Nations for Antigua and Barbuda, as President of its upcoming 68th session.
Taking the floor immediately after his election, Ashe said that in 18 months, the world body would launch an agenda for sustainable development for all, which "may very well be the boldest and most ambitious project that the United Nations has ever had to accomplish."
"In order to succeed, the General Assembly needs to be equally bold, ambitious and collaborative if we are to rise to the task we are about to undertake and ensure its completion," he said, adding "failure is not an option. Let us show the world…we can be bold and decisive in our actions."
Noting that it was important to draw on past experiences as well as lessons learnt from the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Ashe said that it would also be important to reflect on new and emerging development challenges.
Stressing that special attention to the two main goals of overcoming poverty and ensuring sustainable development, the president-elect said new and revised partnerships are paramount in integrating economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability.
"The post-2015 development agenda must represent the evolution in the thinking of the international community," he said, adding: "To say it more clearly, development in general and sustainable development in particular is the work of the General Assembly…it is our reason for being".
Looking forward to bringing to fruition many outcomes of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), he said the theme he has chosen for the 68th session will be the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage. "Let's forge ahead with dogged determination," he declared.
Ashe also said he was honored to assume his new position and called on Member States to work together to make the 68th session a productive one.
Offering his congratulations to Ashe, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute to his "impressive experience", which included co-Chairmanship of the Bureau for the Preparatory Process of the Rio+20 Conference, Chairmanship of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) and Group of 77 and service on the governing bodies of major United Nations environmental agreements.
Ban said Ashe "shares my passion for sustainable development - and my concern about the problem of climate change," adding that the president-elect has already demonstrated his commitment to this issue through his work on the governing bodies of major UN environmental agreements.
"He is known as the go-to person when discussions break down. This happened in 2002 when he led negotiations on contentious issues at the World Summit for Social Development… and more recently when he co-chaired Rio+20 negotiations," the UN chief said.
He also thanked the outgoing President, Vuk Jeremic, for presiding over "such a dynamic and constructive session," and said he looked forward to working with Mr. Ashe to realize "our common goals."
Made up of all the 193 Member States of the United Nations, the General Assembly provides a forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the UN Charter. It meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year, and thereafter as required.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.