President-elect, H.E. Mr. Dennis Frances, began his remarks with a sincere thanks for the efforts and accomplishments of the outgoing office. He got straight to the point, stating that the great challenge of his office will be to achieve credible outcomes during a particularly challenging time in the global landscape. His words were matter-of-fact, yet evoked confidence and optimism in the abilities of people to come together and overcome such challenges. Recapturing this theme of collaboration, President Frances emphasized that this is the power of the UN System and of multilateralism; to facilitate collective problem-solving on a global scale where previously impossible singularly. He ended his contribution with a moving statement, saying “that is the magic of multilateralism”.

After a succinct acknowledgment of the keynote speakers by Mr. Suazo, the session heard from the remaining speakers of the day, each covering a specific area of concern for the OPGA.

Outgoing Chef de Cabinet, H.E. Mr. Laszlo Széke, opened this round speaking about general experiences, pieces of advice, and best practices. He provided several detailed points of guidance for the incoming team, most notably that the expectation of the OPGA is to provide leadership, understanding, accountability, and impartiality. He emphasized the necessity for the office, as a central cog in the United Nations, to remain flexible, patient, and tolerant with all missions. Finally, he ended on a note about the importance of visibility, as much of the opinions about The Office will come from outward-facing mediums such as social media.  

For the second presentation of the evening, Ms. Toni Shae Freckleton, who served as Team Lead for Sustainable Development for the 75th Office of the President of the General Assembly, spoke to the incoming office about Environmental Issues, Development, and Economics. Her points centered around being clear with the goal and purpose of each session and undertaking. Namely, she called attention to priority goals around these topics, with an overarching focus on building resilience, such as building on the momentum of the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, the Summit of the Future, COP 28, and Financing for Development. Finally, she reaffirmed the ever-present theme of keeping strong relationships with other UN Bodies like ECOSOC and DESA.

Mr. Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group, Ms. Janina Hasse-Mohsine, and Ms. Eva Shaffer then took the floor to speak about creative diplomacy, political affairs, and human rights, respectively. Their advice centered around The Office’s role as a central member in global diplomacy, often necessarily involved with sensitive political debates and topics of discussion. As such, it is crucial for the OPGA to pay attention to developments in the Security Council, as vetoes can happen at any time and for any reason, which significantly complicate the completion of work. Ms. Shaffer’s presentation, in particular, reiterated points made by earlier speakers on gender equality, re-emphasizing the OPGA’s role as a “gender champions” amongst UN Bodies. She also touched on the significance of engaging with civil society and youth, demonstrating the magnitude of these matters at the center of the work of the OPGA.