Pacific / Fiji

Fiji's Peter Thomson takes on presidency at UN

14:29 pm on 14 September 2016

Fiji's Peter Thomson has been installed as the new president of the UN General Assembly.

Peter Thomson (centre), President of the seventy-first session of the General Assembly, at the conclusion of his briefing to journalists, which took place following the opening meeting of the Assembly's new session. Photo: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

In a speech opening the 71st session of the UN's prime decision-making body he said the session must be the year for action on implementing all of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr Thomson says he has appointed a team dedicated to implementing the goals which aim to end poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change in the next 15 years.

He also pledged to strengthen relationships between the UN's various bodies and help find new ways of resolving conflict, better managing migrant flow and ending humanitarian crises.

Mr Thomson was elected to the presidency in June, defeating Cyprus' Andrea Mavroyiannis, by a vote of 94 to 90.

He was appointed Fiji's Permanent Representative to the UN in 2010.