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Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,<\/b><\/p>\n
Mr. Dennis Francis,<\/b><\/p>\n
At the Youth4Water & Climate Connect: Networking Night,<\/b><\/p>\n
Sunday 9 June 2024,<\/b><\/p>\n
Dushanbe, Tajikistan<\/b><\/p>\n
[As Delivered]<\/b><\/p>\n
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Ladies and\u00a0Gentlemen,\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
Esteemed\u00a0Colleagues,\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
Dear\u00a0Youth,<\/i><\/p>\n
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I\u00a0sincerely\u00a0thank the organizers for inviting me to\u00a0join you this evening\u00a0\u2013\u00a0and it\u00a0is\u00a0indeed\u00a0my privilege.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0young\u00a0people \u2013\u00a0represent\u00a0the voices of both the present and future generations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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As critical agents of change,\u00a0you\u00a0are the torchbearers of our world\u00a0\u2013\u00a0and\u00a0your active and sustained engagement\u00a0such as this\u00a0is\u00a0very much needed\u00a0to ensure access to\u00a0clean\u00a0water and sanitation for all, and to strengthen and deliver sustainable development and the SDGs.<\/p>\n
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Dear Friends,<\/i><\/p>\n
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Water and sanitation are at the core of sustainable development\u00a0\u2013\u00a0underpinning\u00a0our efforts to address\u00a0poverty and hunger,\u00a0and\u00a0to\u00a0advance\u00a0economic growth and environmental sustainability.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Access\u00a0to\u00a0clean\u00a0water and sanitation is now universally recognized as a fundamental human right\u00a0\u2013\u00a0essential for health, education, gender equality, and development.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Increasing\u00a0young people\u2019s\u00a0access to\u00a0clean\u00a0water can enormously\u00a0impact personal lives and futures\u00a0\u2013 particularly in\u00a0reducing\u00a0inequality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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But \u2013 in\u00a0many parts of the world\u00a0\u2013\u00a0girls\u00a0are more likely to drop out of school\u00a0and lose their right to education simply\u00a0because\u00a0they are needed to collect water, among other\u00a0challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Recognizing the indispensable role water plays across all facets of society, it is imperative that we empower young people to actively engage in shaping policies and decisions related to water resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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This involvement is crucial for advancing our global agenda,especially the SDGs, and bolstering multilateralism\u00a0\u2013\u00a0the cornerstone of\u00a0the United Nations, imperative for redirecting the current trajectory of tensions and conflicts.<\/p>\n
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My Dear Friends<\/i>,\u00a0<\/p>\n
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We cannot take water availability and sustainability\u00a0for granted.<\/p>\n
In this regard,\u00a0cooperation\u00a0in water-related matters\u00a0requires multi-stakeholder\u00a0commitment\u00a0\u2013\u00a0including civil society, local communities, women, and especially,\u00a0you the\u00a0youth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Embracing a holistic approach to participation and decision-making across society is paramount for devising and implementing sustainable solutions for water management.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Encouragingly, strides toward this goal\u00a0are<\/i>\u00a0being made.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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As you may recall,\u00a0last\u00a0September\u00a0at the SDG Summit,\u00a0we\u00a0witnessed\u00a0a\u00a0significant leap\u00a0forward\u00a0\u2013\u00a0as\u00a0Heads of\u00a0State and\u00a0Government recognized\u00a0the\u00a0pivotal\u00a0role of\u00a0you, the\u00a0young people,in\u00a0achieving\u00a0a more sustainable future.<\/p>\n
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The previous year,\u00a0in September 2022,\u00a0the General Assembly approved the establishment of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Youth Office\u00a0\u2013\u00a0which\u00a0is critical in\u00a0spearheading\u00a0the advocacy\u00a0and integration\u00a0of youth issues across the United Nations\u00a0system and agenda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Efforts are also underway to negotiate a Declaration for Future Generations,\u00a0as part of the outcome of the upcoming Summit of the Future\u00a0in\u00a0September\u00a0\u2013\u00a0setting\u00a0out a new vision for future generations and their\u00a0prosperity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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These\u00a0initiatives\u00a0illustrate\u00a0that it is possible\u00a0and<\/i>\u00a0necessary to\u00a0actively engage\u00a0youth in discussions and decision-making processes that affect their future.<\/p>\n
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As my contribution to these endeavors, in\u00a0April of this year, I\u00a0also\u00a0hosted\u00a0an event titled\u00a0#AskPGA: A Conversation with the Youth<\/b>\u2013\u00a0aimed\u00a0at involving young people in discussions about safeguarding the planet’s\u00a0ecosystems\u00a0and promoting sustainable production and consumption.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Moreover, I\u00a0have been actively listening to the voices of youth worldwide\u00a0\u2013\u00a0including\u00a0in our discussion today, to better grasp their interests and concerns.<\/p>\n
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I am also proud to share\u00a0that my office runs the PGA Fellowship Programme\u00a0\u2013\u00a0offering a distinctive platform to amplify youth engagement and gather their insights on addressing the challenges they confront.<\/p>\n
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I urge\u00a0you, the\u00a0young\u00a0people, especially\u00a0those\u00a0from developing nations to seize this invaluable opportunity to deepen\u00a0your\u00a0understanding of\u00a0multilateralism,\u00a0the\u00a0work of the\u00a0General Assembly\u2013 which I am privileged\u00a0to lead\u00a0\u2013\u00a0as well as the United Nations system at large.<\/p>\n
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I\u00a0must take a moment to commend\u00a0you all on the creation of the ‘Youth for Water and Climate Network\u2019 \u2013 an\u00a0initiative\u00a0that\u00a0is especially timely given Tajikistan\u2019s\u00a0recent signing of\u00a0the Declaration on Children, Youth, and Climate Action.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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It is inspiring to see the youth of Tajikistan actively bridging their voices with the global community to influence climate mitigation and adaptation strategies\u00a0-and\u00a0\u2013\u00a0I\u00a0encourage you to persist in these efforts and continue leading the way for a sustainable future.<\/p>\n
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Dear Friends,<\/i><\/p>\n
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Ladies and Gentlemen,<\/i><\/p>\n
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My office and I are always ready to engage with all stakeholders, including youth, at all levels to listen to their perspectives, ideas, and aspirations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Your\u00a0engagement\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0youth\u00a0\u2013\u00a0in\u00a0these processes will not only drive forward our global agenda but also ensure that we build a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous world for future generations, while leaving no one behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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You \u2013 the\u00a0youth\u00a0\u2013\u00a0with\u00a0your\u00a0energy, innovation, and commitment, are at the\u00a0very\u00a0heart of this mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Together,\u00a0I trust we can\u00a0fully\u00a0empower\u00a0you\u00a0to be the change-makers\u00a0of today\u00a0and\u00a0the confident and creative\u00a0leaders of tomorrow.<\/p>\n
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I thank you.<\/b><\/p>\n
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