Ashe took the post this week and addressing journalists in New York in his first press conference since assuming the role of General Assembly President said that the body is about to embark on a process that will define parameters for the world’s post-2015 development agenda.
Ashe was also the ambassador to the United Nations for Antigua and Barbuda and is also his country’s Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has ministerial responsibility for WTO and sustainable development matters.
From 1989 to 1995, he worked for his country’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations as Scientific Attaché, Counsellor and Minister Counsellor. Between 1995 and 2004, he was Antigua and Barbuda’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He served as Chairman of the thirteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which met at United Nations Headquarters on 11–22 April 2005. He also led negotiations on budgetary and administrative matters within the Conventions on biological diversity and desertification, the Basel Convention, and the Montreal Protocol, and served on the Executive Boards of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In April 2009, he was elected chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP), and was responsible for overseeing negotiations leading up to and including the final phase at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.
Ashe was educated at the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, St. Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada, and the Technical University of Nova Scotia at Halifax. He holds a Ph.D in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
In response to questions from journalists about developments in Syria, Ashe said he expects to hear from some Member States in an informal session that will follow the opening.
He noted that Syria, as well as the entire Middle East region, is likely to be discussed by the world body over the coming weeks, but cautioned that there are limitations on what can be achieved.
“One thing that is often overlooked when speaking about the General Assembly is that it is comprised of Member States. It is only as effective as Member States want it to be,” said the new UN General Assembly President.
Ashe added that he would convene three high-level events, focused on women, youth and civil society; human rights and rule of law; and South-South cooperation, triangular cooperation and information communication technology (ICT) for development
“I will ask delegations to focus on the theme…the ‘Post-2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage’,” said Ashe, while adding that he he would convene three high-level events and three thematic debates to give the 193 UN Member States an opportunity to “flesh out ideas” on a variety of issues that he believes should be included post-2015, the deadline for achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“The intent is not to have a debate for debate’s sake… but to look at how these elements can contribute to a post-2015 agenda,” Ashe noted, during the press conference alongside his spokesperson, Afaf Konja.
The UN is currently in the 1,000 days of action to spur progress towards those eight anti-poverty targets, which were agreed by world leaders at a UN summit in 2000, which set specific goals on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a global partnership for development.
The General Assembly this year will also host three thematic debates on the role of partnerships; how stable and peaceful societies can contribute to development; and on the way that water, sanitation and sustainable energy can contribute to the post-2015 development agenda.
The 68th General Assembly opened at 3 p.m. on September 17th with speeches from Ashe, followed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
