President of the Republic Katalin Novák is in New York this week, leading the Hungarian delegation participating in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly’s general debate. While in the United States, the President will hold discussions with the Governors of Texas, Utah, and Montana, her press office has said.
The Hungarian head of state delivered her remarks in the UN on Monday, 18 September. ‘In the absence of peace, many efforts made for sustainable development may be jeopardized or remain unsuccessful,’ she stated, while serving as one of the co-chairs for the high-level discussion on the evaluation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. As the leader of the Hungarian delegation participating in the UN General Assembly, the President conveyed a message emphasizing the need of all countries to work together to seek peace in all conflict-stricken regions of the world. She highlighted that the absence of peace escalates the arms race, and disrupts international relations.
She emphasized her intention to amplify the voices of those who endure war within the United Nations, recalling her recent visit to Ukraine. As her second message, Novák drew attention to the dangers threatening societies when families are broken, schools neglected, and churches discredited. She warned that this leads to the loss of the moral compass of our lives and of humanity, which she called ‘a fatal mistake’. As the third point in her speech, she urged responsible parenting and child-rearing, aligning with the principles of sustainability.
She underscored the importance of preserving children for the world’s future, as
it is not worth fighting for a world ‘with empty cradles.’
Novák underlined Hungary’s commitment to sustainable development by noting that Hungary is 22nd out of 166 countries in the 2023 global sustainable development ranking.
The high-level discussion on sustainability, with the participation of heads of state and government, also featured speeches by President of Croatia Zoran Milanović, President of Austria Alexander van der Bellen, and the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also served as a co-chair.
In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals for the period until 2030. Leading politicians will be discussing the necessary steps to accelerate action to reach those goals during the United Nations High-Level Political Week. Recently, the former Hungarian President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, emphasized in an interview with the Hungarian media that countries around the world are falling behind in achieving the 15-year goals,
with only 12 per cent of them being successfully reached.
On Monday, Novák had a separate meeting with the President of Kazakhstan to discuss bilateral relations, cultural cooperation, and opportunities arising from Hungary’s EU membership. The President also participated in a working lunch on women’s rights, organized by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations in charge of women’s rights Amina Mohammed. Other attendees included Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Queen Rania of Jordan, and US actress Natalie Portman, who serves as the UN’s Goodwill Ambassador.
As part of her busy programme in the United States, Novák represented Hungary at a reception marking the 50th anniversary of Germany’s UN membership. She also attended the annual gala dinner of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, where Henry Kissinger, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning former US Secretary of State, who celebrated his 100th birthday this year, received an award. On Tuesday, the Hungarian President will deliver a speech during the general debate of the 78th session of the UN, where Joe Biden, the President of the United States, will also give an address.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/MTI
