Ambassadors of the Group of Friends meet with the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, candidate to the Presidency of the General Assembly at its 78th Session

The Ambassadors of the Member States to the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter met on 17 May 2023, at the Headquarters of the Permanent Mission of Venezuela to the United Nations.

At that time, they had an interactive dialogue with Ambassador Dennis Francis, Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations, who expects to become the President of the General Assembly at its 78th Session, in elections scheduled for next 01 June 2023, in New York.

Ambassador Francis presented his vision, under the motto “Peace, Prosperity, Progress, and Sustainability”, and, among others, expressed his determination to bring development to the center of the discussions, as well as his commitment with the Charter of the United Nations. He also highlighted his willingness to continue having a fruitful and meaningful dialogue with the grouping, in various formats.

Participants expressed their support to the candidature of Ambassador Francis and his vision, while wishing him great success in his endeavors as upcoming President of the General Assembly. They also shared their most pressing concerns and respective priorities for the upcoming session, particularly with regards to the question of the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures. Similarly, they expressed their determination to participate in an active and constructive manner in the multiple intergovernmental processes to be conducted within the framework of the General Assembly, including all referred to the preparations for the Summit of the Future, scheduled for September 2024.

The Ambassadors of the Member States to the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter also exchanged views and compared notes on various issues of common interest, and made an assessment of the implementation of the grouping’s 2023 Programme of Work, while briefly discussing on future initiatives to be carried out in various multilateral fora.