Tijjani Muhammad-Bande takes oath as President for 74th session of UN General Assembly

Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, the renowned Nigerian political scientist, administrator and career diplomat has sworn for the 74^th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He takes over as the President of the UN General Assembly.

Tijjani Muhammad-Bande was the permanent representative of Nigeria to the UN and served as the Vice-President of the General Assembly during its 71^st session in September 2016. He was elected as the President of the upcoming 74^th session of the Assembly on June 4 to succeed María Fernanda Espinosa, whose term ends in September 2019.

The Ecuadorian politician and diplomat, María Fernanda Espinosa previously as Minister of National Defense of Ecuador from November 2012 to September 2014. She served as the Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in Geneva from October 2014 to May 2017.

"We are not like a written-in-stone organization from 75 years ago. We have to be a contemporary, 21st century organization, while sticking to the founding principles of the UN, but to see that every day we can do something that transforms and improves the way we work and deliver on all fronts - the Secretariat, UN agencies and programs, the General Assembly, the Security Council" and all other organs of the UN," Espinosa said.

She also said that she has reminded Tijjani Muhammad-Bande to continue focusing on the gender parity agenda and expand the work on addressing plastic pollution worldwide as he takes charge as President of the 74^th session of the General Assembly.

"The whole idea is that all Members are able to help others at times by showing what they have done, which has worked, which has not worked, and what support they are able to give to others on a short-term basis. There have been a lot of initiatives over a long period of time concerning methods and norms, concerning the eradication of poverty and the connections between poverty and many other afflictions. And I think (it's important to work with) Member States to look at those things, and see what within those parameters they're able to work with others to achieve," Bande said in an exclusive conversation with the UN News.

.@BandeTijjani was sworn in Monday as @UN_PGA for the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.More on his priorities for the year ahead: https://t.co/OvskEZ8czm #UNGA pic.twitter.com/LMI7jA3qs5

— United Nations (@UN) September 16, 2019