Annual debate of 68th session of UN General Assembly concludes

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Annual debate of 68th session of UN General Assembly concludes

(Xinhua) 14:06, October 02, 2013

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UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 1 -- The annual debate of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly concluded on Tuesday, during which more than 130 heads of state and government, as well as ministers, gave their views on regional and international affairs.

General Assembly President John Ashe, at the close of the debate, said that the member states are "responsible for the implementation of action by working to create a post-2015 development agenda"

"We are the ones responsible for finding common ground. And with the directions and the reference points laid before us this week, it is now up to us to identify our common agenda and move forward on it," he said.

With the theme on "The Post 2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage!", the week-long general debate, which opened on Sept. 24, provided heads of state and other senior government officials an opportunity to weigh in on the shape of the world's development strategy for the period after the 2015 deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and a host of national and global concerns, such as poverty eradication, climate change, human rights, and a range of peace and security issues.

Ashe said the fact that virtually every speaker in the debate had pledged full support for the further elaboration by the UN of the post-2015 development agenda "heralds a sense of promise about what is to come over the next year," and he called on the member states to work collectively and creatively during this session.

"Throughout the week, a number of items were mentioned that countries wish to see in our new agenda including: culture, education, climate change, job creation, sustainable energy, social inclusion, equality for all, access to water, sustainable agriculture and use of ocean resources, food security, health care including maternal care, non-communicable diseases, and the fight against HIV-AIDS, among others," he said.

"In the real world in which we live, such healthy compromise is the best outcome of our joint effort. We are the ones responsible for finding such common ground," Ashe said, calling it is now up to the member states to "find the common ground as a basis for moving forward with decisive action."

On Syrian crisis, Ashe said many delegations expressed concerns about the dire humanitarian situation and called for a negotiated solution at the Geneva II Conference.

"They welcomed Syria's decision to adhere to the chemical weapons convention and called for an immediate application of its provisions," he said. "Many welcomed the recent unanimous decision of the Security Council on Syria, but nevertheless called on that body to uphold the rules of the Charter in regards to further action."

（Editor：DuMingming、Gao Yinan）