Past Presidents
57th Session: Jan Kavan
Portrait of Mr. Jan Kavan, President of the United Nations General Assembly’s 57th session. UN Photo/Mark Garten
Jan Kavan was elected President of the United Nations General Assembly’s 57th session on 8 July 2002. At the time of his election, he was serving as a Deputy in the Czech Parliament.
Jan Kavan presided the General Assembly’s 57th session from 10 September 2002 to 15 September 2003.
On 17 July 2002, the General Assembly elected 21 Vice-Presidents for the 57th session:
- from the African States: Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Swaziland and Togo;
- from the Asian-Pacific States: Bahrain, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Qatar and Viet Nam;
- from the Latin American and Caribbean States: Barbados, Ecuador and Mexico;
- from the Western European and Other States: Austria and Portugal;
- the five permanent members of the Security Council: China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States.
Priorities
Enhancement of Peace and Security
- Strengthening of the international coalition against international terrorism;
- Contributing to the prevention and resolution of conflicts.
Promoting Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development in the Accelerating Process of Globalization
- Integrated implementation of the Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Consensus and the outcome of the World Summit for Sustainable Development;
- Broader access to information and communication technologies, namely for education, good governance and health care.
Strengthening the Role of the United Nations with Focus on:
- Better policy coherence through enhancing partnerships between the United Nations, Bretton Woods Institutions, WTO and other development partners, including private sector and civil society;
- Enhanced cooperation between the General Assembly, the Security Council and ECOSOC, as well as the Secretary General.
Reform of the United Nations
- Enhancement of the effectiveness of the work and functions of the United Nations on the basis of the Road map towards the implementation of Millennium Declaration;
- Revitalization of the General Assembly through further improvement of procedures and working methods, streamlining and clustering of agenda items and reinforcement of the role of the General Committee of the General Assembly;
- Facilitation of discussion and consensus-finding on Security Council reform.
Statements and Messages
September 2003
- Statement on the murder of Anna Lindh, Foreign Minister of Sweden
(11 September 2003) - Statement at the 56th Annual Conference of the Department of Public Information - Non-governmental Organizations (8 September 2003)
- Statement at the Meeting on the Role of Civil Society in Conflict Prevention (4 September 2003)
August 2003
- Statement on International Youth Day (12 August 2003)
- Statement on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Children and Youth (9 August 2003)
July 2003
- Lecture on "The United Nations, the United States and the Future of Multilateralism" (28 July 2003)
- Statement to the National Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (28 July 2003)
- Statement on World Population Day (11 July 2003)
- Statement on International Day of Co-operatives (5 July 2003)
June 2003
- Statement on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June 2003)
- Statement on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (26 June 2003)
- Statement at the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Integrated and Coordinated Implementation of and Follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations Conferences and Summits in the Economic and Social Fields (23 June 2003)
- Statement on World Refugee Day (20 June 2003)
- Statement at the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Integrated and Coordinated Implementation of and Follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations Conferences and Summits in the Economic and Social Fields (17 June 2003)
- Statement on World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (17 June 2003)
- Statement on World Environment Day (5 June 2003)
May 2003
- Statement on World No-Tobacco Day (31 May 2003)
- Statement on United Nations Staff Day (30 May 2003)
- Statement on International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (29 May 2003)
- Statement on the 40th Anniversary of Africa Day (28 May 2003)
- Statement at the Closing of the 6th International Nonstop Reading Marathon (27 May 2003)
- Statement at the Opening of the 6th International Nonstop Reading Marathon (27 May 2003)
- Statement on the International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May 2003)
- Statement on World Telecommunication Day (17 May 2003)
- Statement on International Day of Families (15 May 2003)
- Statement at the 37th Plenary Assembly of WFUNA (9 May 2003)
- Statement on World Press Freedom Day (3 May 2003)
April 2003
- Statement at the Security Council's Wrap-up Session (30 April 2003)
- Statement at the UN - US Symposium Series (28 April 2003)
- Statement on World Book and Copyright Day (23 April 2003)
- Statement at the Working Group on the Integrated and Coordinated Follow-up (17 April 2003)
- Statement on the Appointment of Mark Malloch Brown as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (15 April 2003)
- Statement at the Special high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization (14 April 2003)
- Statement at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (8 April 2003)
- Statement on World Health Day (7 April 2003)
- Statement at the Global Agenda Forum (7 April 2003)
March 2003
- Statement on World Meteorological Day (23 March 2003)
- Statement on World Water Day (22 March 2003)
- Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination (21 March 2003)
- Statement on the assassination of Zoran Djindjic, Prime Minister of Serbia (13 March 2003)
- Statement at the Symposium "In search of Consolidation of Peace in Africa" (11 March 2003)
- Statement on International Women's Day (8 March 2003)
- Statement at the Roundtable on Nationalism, Internationalism and Cosmopolitanism (7 March 2003)
February 2003
- Statement on International Mother Language Day (21 February 2003)
- Statement on the General Assembly Presidency in the Light of the Caribbean Candidacy (14 February 2003)
- Statement at the Working Group on the Integrated and Coordinated Implementation and Follow-up to the Major UN Conferences and Summits in the Economic and Social Fields (3 February 2003)
January 2003
December 2002
- Statement at the Closing of the Main Part of the 57th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (20 December 2002)
- Statement on International Migrant's Day (18 December 2002)
- Statement at the Luncheon for the Board of Directors of United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund (11 December 2002)
- Statement on Human Rights Day (10 December 2002)
- Statement at the Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Opening for Signature of the Law of the Sea (9 December 2002)
- Statement on International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (5 December 2002)
- Statement on United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage (4 December 2002)
- Statement on International Day of Disabled Persons (3 December 2002)
- Statement on World AIDS Day (1 December 2002)
November 2002
- Statement on International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (29 November 2002)
- Statement on Volunteerism and the International Year of Volunteers (26 November 2002)
- Statement on World AIDS Day Oservance (26 November 2002)
- Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November 2002)
- Statement on World Television Day (21 November 2002)
- Statement on Universal Children's Day (21 November 2002)
- Statement on Africa Industrialization Day (20 November 2002)
- Statement at the UN-IPU Meeting of Parliamentarians (19 November 2002)
- Statement at the Panel on "Afghanistan: One Year Later" (18 November 2002)
- Statement on Strengthening the United Nations (14 November 2002)
- Statement on the Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (13 November 2002)
- Statement on the Strengthening of the United Nations system (12 November 2002)
- Statement at the Open-ended panel of the General Assembly on "Afghanistan one year later" (11 November 2002)
- Statement on the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of Environment in War and Armed Conflict (6 November 2002)
- Statement on Strenghtening the UN System (1 November 2002)
October 2002
- Statement on Strenghtening the UN System (30 October 2002)
- Statement at the Commemoration Ceremony for Major-General Joseph Nanven Garba (28 October 2002)
- Statement on United Nations Staff Day (25 October 2002)
- Statement on Strengthening the United Nations: an agenda for further change (24 October 2002)
- Statement at the UN Day Concert (24 October 2002)
- Statement on UN Day (24 October 2002)
- Statement on World Development Information Day (24 October 2002)
- Statement on International Day for The Eradication of Poverty (17 October 2002)
- Statement on World Food Day (16 October 2002)
- Statement on International Day for Disaster Reduction (9 October 2002)
- Statement on World Habitat Day (7 October 2002)
- Statement on World Teachers' Day (5 October 2002)
- Statement at the ECOSOC meeting on Commemoration of the Tenth Anniversary of the Signing of the General Peace Agreement in Mozambique (4 October 2002)
- Statement at the Follow-up to the Outcome of the United Nations Millennium Summit (4 October 2002)
- Statement on International Day of Older Persons (1 October 2002)
September 2002
- Statement on the Admission of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste as a new Member State of the United Nations (27 September 2002)
- Statement at the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole for the Final Review and Appraisal of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990's (NADAF) (25 September 2002)
- Statement at the Peace Bell Ceremony (20 September 2002)
- Statement on International Day of Peace (20 September 2002)
- Statement at the Conclusion of the General Debate of the 57th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (20 September 2002)
- Statement on International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (16 September 2002)
- Statement at the High-level Plenary Meeting of New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) (16 September 2002)
- Statement at the Cathedral of St John the Divine (15 September 2002)
- Statement to Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York (13 September 2002)
- Statement at the Ceremony of Remembrance of the 9/11 Attacks (11 September 2002)
- Statement at the Annual Interfaith Service to the Commitment to the Work of the United Nations (11 September 2002)
- Statement on the Admission of the Swiss Confederation as a New Member of the UN (10 September 2002)
- Statement at the Opening of the First Plenary Meeting of the 57th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (10 September 2002)
- Statement at the International Prayer Breakfast (10 September 2002)
July 2002
- Acceptance Speech (8 July 2002)
Events
- High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development (29-30 October 2003)
- Nonstop Reading Marathon (25-28 May 2003)
- Open-ended Panel "Afghanistan: One year Later" (18 November 2002)
Team
- H.E. Jan Kavan, President
- H.E. Ms. Helena Opolecká, Chef de Cabinet
- H.E. Ms. Jana Simonová, Deputy Chef de Cabinet
- Mr. Richard Sydenham, Spokesperson
- Mr. Josef Buzalka, Minister Councellor (Political and Security Affairs)
- Ms. Ivana Krahulcová, Counsellor (Legal, Social, Administrative and Budgetary Affairs)
- Mr. Petr Martinek, Councellor (Economic and Development Affairs)
- Mr. Jan Vytopil, Councellor (Media and Public Relations)
- Mr. Pavel Kafka, First Secretary (Economic and Development Affairs)
- Ms. Šárka Krcálová, Second Secretary (Political and Security Affairs)
- Ms. Katerina Sequensová, Second Secretary (Political and Security Affairs)
- Ms. Simona Petru, Third Secretary (Legal and Social Affairs, Protocol)
- Ms. Ranjit Jayanti, Assistant for Speechwriting and Editing
- Ms. Katerina Pánková, Assistant
- Ms. Antoinette Schemeelk, Assistant
- Mr. Marvin Rey Cardenas, Assistant
- Ms. Marisa Katz, Intern (June, July 2003)
