Ambassador Volkan BOZKIR of Turkey, former European Union (EU) Minister and Chief Negotiator was elected as the President of the 75th General Assembly of the United Nations.
In the election held at the UN General Assembly, the representatives of the member states were taken to the hall one by one in the time zone allocated to them and cast their votes due to the outbreak of the new type coronavirus (Kovid-19). Voting began at 09.00 local time and finished at 13.00.
192 member states voted in the UN General Assembly, with 193 countries represented. Venezuela lost its right to vote because it was unable to pay the financial contribution debt that member states had to pay to the UN, and was unable to vote in that election.
Mr. BOZKIR, the only candidate for the presidency of the UN General Assembly, had the support of 178 countries and became the 75th president of the UN General Assembly. 3 votes were invalid, while 11 countries abstained.
BOZKIR became the first person from Turkey elected to the presidency of the UN General Assembly. He will take over the duty from General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande on September 15 and will hold the post until September 2021.
The UN General Assembly takes decisions that reflect the general thinking of the international community. The president of the UN General Assembly oversees the sessions and regulates the functioning of the board. The General Assembly also sets and controls the UN's budget each year.
In September every year world leaders meet in New York, where the UN headquarters is located, for general talks of the UN General Assembly and seek diplomatic solutions to global problems and explain the policies of their countries.
Volkan BOZKIR was born in Ankara on 22 November 1950. As a career diplomat, he served as Deputy Consul of the Consulate General of Stuttgart, chief of the Embassy of Baghdad, Undersecretary of the permanent representative of the OECD, Consul General of New York, Ambassador of Bucharest and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Turkey to the European Union (EU).
He served as Foreign Advisor to the prime minister's Office, Directorate of Presidential Special Items and Chief of Foreign Affairs, Assistant Secretary General of the EU, Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of foreign affairs for the EU and Secretary General of the EU.
