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A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 6 June 2018

UN General Assembly elects Ecuador minister next president

By EDITH M. LEDERER the planet to transparency
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The in the president's office,
U.N. General Assembly on U.N. reforms, and gender
Tuesday overwhelmingly equality.
elected Ecuador's Foreign Espinosa Garces said then
Minister Maria Fernanda that she would focus on
Espinosa Garces as its next "delivery, implementation
president, making her only and accountability" to
the fourth woman to lead bring the U.N.'s work closer
the 193-member world to people everywhere and
body in its 73-year history. convince them that what
She defeated another the United Nations does
woman — Honduras' U.N. "touches upon their daily
Ambassador Mary Eliza- lives."
beth Flores Flake — by 128- After Tuesday's election,
62 with two abstentions in she stressed that "strength-
the secret-ballot vote. ening multilateralism is not
The current council presi- an option, it's an obliga-
dent, Miroslav Lajcak of tion."
Slovakia, announced the Therefore, Espinosa Garc-
results to loud applause, es said, it's urgent that the
saying, "Frankly, 4 out of 73 United Nations responds to
is not a record to be proud major global challenges
of, but I'm glad we are get- and does more to bring the
ting ourselves on track." organization closer to all
Secretary-General Antonio Ecuador's Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa is interviewed at United Nations headquarters, citizens of the world.
Guterres, who defeated Monday, June 4, 2018. She told reporters later that
several female candidates Associated Press her priorities will be to final-
and continues the male ize negotiations for a glob-
domination of the U.N.'s While the presidency of the which starts just before Sep- es said. "As such, I am fully al compact on migration,
top post, echoed Lajcak, General Assembly is largely tember's global gathering. aware that no view is use- promoting action on cli-
saying, "We can and we ceremonial, it is also presti- By tradition, the U.N.'s re- ful if we do not see, and no mate change, implement-
must do better." gious. gional groups nominate word has any value if we ing U.N. reforms, and look-
Espinosa Garces expressed The world body controls a single candidate who is do not listen. I will be ready ing for new ways to finance
hope that gender parity the U.N. budget, adopts then rubber-stamped by to listen to you all and to economic development.
continues to make progress treaties, addresses global the assembly. But this year work for you and with you." Diplomats said before the
and dedicated her elec- issues from poverty to cli- the election was contested For the first time this year, vote that the views of the
tion to "all the women in mate change, and passes for the first time since 1991, assembly president Lajcak governments of Ecuador
the world who participate numerous resolutions that according to the U.N., decided to follow a new and Honduras would likely
in politics today and who while not legally binding al- because Latin American practice that was also used play a significant role in
face political and media most always reflect global countries couldn't agree to choose secretary-gener- Tuesday's voting. Espinosa
attacks marked by machis- opinion. It is also the U.N. on a nominee. al Guterres. Garces will join the short list
mo and discrimination." organ where countries Espinosa Garces noted af- He invited both candidates of female assembly presi-
"I would like to pay a spe- large and small can speak ter her victory that she will to appear before assem- dents that began in 1953
cial tribute to the women — and the scene of the also be the first woman bly members for two hours with Indian diplomat Vijaya
who struggle every day to annual gathering of world from Latin America and May 4 to present their vi- Lakshmi Pandit, the sister
access jobs on equal terms, leaders in September. the Caribbean to preside sion for the presidency of Prime Minister Jawahar-
to women and girls who are The selection of the assem- over the assembly starting and answer questions from lal Nehru and aunt of later
victims of violence, to girls bly president follows an un- in September. diplomats and civil society Prime Minister Indira Gan-
and adolescents who de- written system of regional "I offered an open door representatives. The issues dhi. She was followed by
mand access to quality in- rotation, and it was the turn presidency and I will hold raised ranged from conflict Angie Elisabeth Brooks of
formation and education," of Latin America and the to that promise," she said. prevention and financing Liberia in 1969, and Sheikha
she said. "My commitment Caribbean to preside over "I am a poet as well as a U.N. goals for 2030 to end- Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of
will always be to them." the next yearlong session politician," Espinosa Garc- ing poverty and sustaining Bahrain in 2006.q