Former Swiss cabinet minister takes up UN post
Former Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss has officially taken up his new job as president of the United Nations General Assembly.
On Tuesday he opened the 65th session of the General Assembly in New York and chaired a debate on the Millennium Goals to halve poverty by 2015.
In his opening address, Deiss said he had a vision of a “strong General Assembly, which should be the main forum for global debate. However, that will require us to learn how to listen to each other”.
He concluded by saying that his door was always open “but above all I would urge you to overcome our selfishness and our rivalries for the benefit of humanity”.
The General Assembly, which does not have any legislative powers, includes all 192 states.
Deiss’s role will be that of a coordinator. In an interview last month, Deiss told swissinfo.ch he saw himself as a “head facilitator, whose function is to bring together member states and their opinions”.
The 64 year-old played a key role in Switzerland’s decision to join the UN in 2002.
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