Remarks by United Nations Resident Coordinator Marc-André Franche on United Nations Day 2024

It is an honor to welcome you to this year’s United Nations Day event, marking 79 years since the Charter entered into force.

As the foundational document that established the United Nations, the Charter remains a cornerstone for global peace, human rights, and development.

For nearly eight decades, the fundamental principles it enshrines as international law has guided us through crises, fostered cooperation and brought about unprecedented prosperity by championing human dignity.

This year, we focus on the recent Summit of the Future, which culminated in the adoption of the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.

Together, these milestone agreements shaped by all members states, including Sri Lanka, will help ensure that the United Nations System continues to adapt and reform, so it is fit for today’s global challenges and delivers solutions for all.

In a world that feels increasingly polarized, the Pact demonstrates that the international community can achieve broad agreements to act together.

The Pact is our collective recommitment to the 2030 Agenda, seeking to redefine our efforts in five critical areas:

• sustainable development,
• peace and security,
• science and digital cooperation,
• youth and future generations,
• and transforming global governance.

Sri Lanka shaped this agreement through national consultations, including through youth consultations held in Colombo earlier this year. They brought together young leaders from across the country offering their insights on what matters to them and their future.

As Sri Lanka undergoes this important period of political transition under new leadership, and prepares for the upcoming general election, we have reasons for optimism.

In a year when millions of people around the world are heading to the polls, Sri Lanka’s conduct of Presidential elections and transfer of power is an example of democracy in action, offering valuable inspiration for other countries.

It is our hope that this election season also opens further space for greater political leadership for women, paving the way for a more equitable society.

This period also offers a critical opportunity to strengthen rule of law and invest in reconciliation as a critical foundation for restoring trust in institutions and ensuring Sri Lanka’s long-term stability and development.

As we gather in celebration today, we cannot forget the humanitarian crises unfolding around the world.

In Sudan, the DRC, Ukraine, Haiti, Myanmar and elsewhere countless lives are devastated by violence and displacement.

In the Middle East, the scale of suffering remains tremendous and the toll on civilians, many women and children, is simply unconscionable.

Over the past year, more than 300 humanitarian aid workers were killed in Gaza—many of them our own colleagues in UNRWA, the UN Agency assisting Palestinian refugees.

This is the highest death toll of UN staff in a single conflict in our history, and a stark reminder of the unacceptable dangers faced by humanitarian workers.

Just last week, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon was repeatedly hit by Israeli forces, leaving two Sri Lankan peacekeepers injured.

In times like these, the importance of the UN Charter, of international law and international humanitarian law cannot be overstated.

Sri Lanka’s contributions to UNRWA over the past year, while it faced hardships of its own, reflects the compassion of the Sri Lankan people.

In these moments of crisis, we must resist the urge to turn inward.

Instead, we must come together in solidarity and collective action

The Pact for the Future reaffirms the United Nations' commitment to revitalizing multilateralism—because no country, no matter how powerful, can tackle these global challenges alone and because we cannot solve today’s challenges with yesterday’s global institutions

As the country recovers from the economic and political shocks of recent years, the United Nations reiterates its commitment to continue accompanying the people and government of Sri Lanka to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

For Sri Lanka, the Pact of the Future will drive tangible change in several key areas:

• Closing the SDG financing gap by strengthening the government's capacity to access, absorb, and manage financing, including from innovative sources, and facilitate sustainable debt restructuring, so poverty and vulnerability are tackled
• Stepping up climate ambitions across the economy addressing not just mitigation but also adaptation so sustainability becomes a motor for growth
• Harnessing technology for development by building the necessary infrastructure and skills to harness the power of digital technologies to improve service delivery, increase transparency and fight corruption
• Building trust and paving the way for lasting reconciliation, by strengthening the rule of law and accountability across the justice system and investing in peacebuilding by addressing long standing grievances and inequalities.

In an increasingly polarized world, multilateralism remains our strongest tool. Since 1945, the United Nations has been the place for countries to unite behind global solutions to global problems.

It is the only platform where all nations come together to find common ground, address the global challenges that transcend borders, and to strive for a better future for all.

Today, all of us have the opportunity to own and champion this Pact for the Future.

This is not just a document; it is a way forward that reflects the aspirations of Sri Lankans and people everywhere, to build a future that is more inclusive, more sustainable, and more just.

Let us continue to work together to ensure that the ideals of our UN Charter remain at the forefront of our efforts.

Thank you very much.