Madam Chair, thank you for giving me the floor.
Allow me once again to congratulate you on your commendable stewardship of our Group for this month. You, and your capable team, have set very high standards, which I shall try my best to uphold.
I also express our appreciation for the excellent work of the delegation of Afghanistan under the leadership of Ambassador Adela Raz, during their chairperson-ship in leading our Group for the month of December 2019.
It is a great privilege for me to take the baton from a friend, the Ambassador of Brunei; and I accept this honour with all humility and pleasure.
With this, we will be having three successive terms of women PRs steering the Group as Chairs. And the month of March, when we celebrate the International Women’s Day, we should have another woman in the helms of the Group, my dear friend, the PR of Bhutan. In a year when we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Conference, the APG is certainly sending a very strong message setting the trend for the other groups.
Excellencies,
We are in the midst of friends. So, we should be able to move forward the work of the Group with a unity of purpose. While seeking your full cooperation to make that happen, I would also like to assure you, that I would be open to consultations and would like to conduct the proceedings of the Group with transparency and fairness.
We shall send out a note verbale shortly, containing contact details of the focal persons of our Mission.
We look forward to receiving the full support and understanding of the Group during our Chairperson-ship.
I thank you, Madam Chair.