University Hosts President of UN General Assembly

The School of Diplomacy and International Relations' World Leaders Forum welcomed Miroslav Lajčák, president of the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, for a public address entitled "Toward a New UN."

As President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) during its 72nd Session, Lajčák leads representatives of 193-member countries in policy-making discussions on critical international issues related to peace and security, development and human rights. During Lajčák's 12-month term, the UNGA will be addressing the global education crisis, which has left 264 million children without an opportunity to attend school. Lajčák wants to see the UN evolve more quickly toward reform so that it is better able to respond to this and other global challenges.

Speaking before a meeting of the Security Council recently he warned that by not addressing the need for reform of the world’s largest intergovernmental organization, "the continued relevance and, frankly the very survival of the United Nations is at stake."

The UN was created for people. Its job is to help people who are striving for peace and a decent life, on a sustainable planet. It is one of the tasks of the General Assembly to make sure that their voices can still be heard. -- Miroslav Lajčák, President, UN General Assembly

Andrea Bartoli, dean of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations is proud to welcome Lajčák and his new style of leadership as an example for students. "It is an honor," says Bartoli, "that Mr. Lajčák has accepted our invitation to be the next World Leaders Forum speaker. As president of the General Assembly, Mr. Lajčák has become a strong advocate for change at the UN, seeking to make the organization more relevant, responsive, and effective as it strives to meet the needs of the people of this planet."