Maldives’ FM Shahid is UNGA’s 76th session Prez
United Nations, June 8: Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was on Monday overwhelmingly elected as President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, garnering 143 votes out of the 191 ballots cast. India had already voiced its strong support for Shahid’s candidature as President of the 76th session of the UNGA, saying he is best equipped to preside over the General Assembly of 193 nations of the world.
The General Assembly voted on Monday to elect the President, who will preside over the upcoming session of the UN body that will commence in September. In the fray for the election was Shahid as well as former foreign minister of Afghanistan Dr Zalmai Rassoul, who got 48 votes.
“Hearty congratulations to Maldives Foreign Minister @abdulla_shahid for the robust victory and for being elected as the 76th President of the UN General Assembly,” India’s Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted.
“This is a crucial time for the United Nations and for the world. There’s very little time to spare,
so I intend to get to work right away….I intend to hit the ground running on day one in September as soon as I take my oath of office,” Shahid, 59, said in his remarks to the press following his election. The Maldivian minister said his “immediate priority” will be recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and working to ensure “vaccine equity” to restore hope from a year characterised by “disease, despair and devastation”.
“We approach the 76th session in challenging times. Disease, despair and devastation have characterised the past year. Inequality, injustice and instability have increased. The environment, the ocean, our planet is suffering. But we need to get moving again,” he said.