Gabrielle Lyons

81 years after the UN Charter was signed in San Francisco, its promise still points forward. To prevent war, uphold human rights, advance sustainable development and solve problems no country can solve alone. On UN Charter Day, I underlined that in a world where the principles of the UN are under attack, it is our responsibility to defend the UN Charter. Not only today through commemorations but through our actions and by proving, through what we do every day, that the promise made in San Francisco still lives on. One Charter. One Future.

On 21–22 April, candidates nominated for the position of United Nations Secretary-General will present their vision at United Nations Headquarters in New York and engage in dialogues with Member States and civil society representatives. These interactive dialogues offer an important opportunity for transparency and global engagement in the selection process for the next Secretary-General. All dialogues will be streamed live via UN Web TV. Please see the schedule for speaker details and timings.

If we start questioning the borders of countries again and try to shift them by force, threats, or coercion, we will fall back into dark times. We know the world before the UN - and we don’t want to return. The UN Charter is not a ‘nice to have’ - it is the backbone of global peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. Upholding it demands a united, cross‑regional alliance that stands up and steps up for multilateralism.

The world needs the United Nations, but right now the United Nations needs the world too. Today, I stressed in my speech that my main priority for the next 237 days as President of the General Assembly is to defend the United Nations, its Charter, and the principles enshrined in it. To preserve the UN and save multilateralism, we need to be decisive, principled, and #BetterTogether.