Mr. Bozkir welcomed the participants and discussed how the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) commonly has insufficient resources and is not structured to address the systematic challenges faced by UNGA. He spoke about efficiency and professionalism regarding changing these power structures. Mr. Bozkir acknowledged UNGA’s relationship with the Security Council, specifically how the two bodies should work together to accomplish their goals, utilizing the examples of Palestine, Syria and Myanmar in this regard. Mr. Bozkir stressed the importance of a General Assembly that focuses on addressing the challenges of the world and cuts through the challenges that hold the UN back from enhancing its credibility and efficiency.

Mr. Suazo then gave the floor to the President-elect of 76th General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid. Mr. Shahid spoke that he believes in a stronger, empowered UNGA that is well-resourced and professionally staffed. He showed appreciation for PGA Bozkir and his team for achieving remarkable results during the pandemic, as well as for reopening the General Assembly. Mr. Shahid emphasized the need to raise the standard of the General Assembly and to continue strengthening OPGA. He acknowledged that the UN does not just want to receive reports detailing impacts, but also must hear about the ways in which the UN is bolstering ambition to support the many important causes it aids.

Mr. Suazo thanked both PGAs for attending and then yielded the floor to H.E. Ambassador Cristian Espinosa Cañizares, Permanent Representative of Ecuador. Ambassador Cañizares stressed the importance of this workshop and the value of sharing experiences and practical recommendations, as well as the opportunity to network and team-build. Ambassador Cañizares acknowledged that the 73rd PGA was H.E. Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés of Ecuador, highlighting that many lessons were learned through this experience. He additionally emphasized the need for a workshop like this to share vital words of advice for such an office. Ambassador Cañizares then thanked PGA Bozkir for his extraordinary service.

Following this, Mr. Mohd Hafiz Othman, Political Coordinator of the 73rd OPGA, and Ms. Saada Hassan, Team Lead of Peace and Security of the 75th OPGA, spoke together to share their experiences and knowledge. Mr. Othman focused on his experiences with high-level week prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. He provided examples of summaries, talking points and weekly updates and highlighted the importance of such items. Mr. Othman also emphasized team efforts and communication with colleagues inside and outside of specific clusters. Ms. Saada Hassan shared her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically how the OPGA maintained outreach and collaboration with member states, UN entities, civil society, and the private sector. She spoke on collaborating with the Secretariat in organizing high-level sessions, as well as mentioning sessions that were postponed due to the pandemic, such as the Peacebuilding Architecture Review. Ms. Hassan provided the example of the issue of violence in Gaza during the 75th GA and highlighted the high-level meeting that took place, further emphasizing how UNGA and the Security Council must work together to address key issues.

Ms. Toni-Shae Freckleton, Team Lead of Sustainable Development of the 75th OPGA, was next to speak to the incoming OPGA. She focused on four main points during her session: lessons learned, priority issues of sustainable development, key relationships, and the skills and qualities needed to function within the office. She spoke on collaborating on a strategic work plan with her colleagues during the 75th GA that outlined the priorities of the session. Ms. Freckleton highlighted the importance of communication and having good relationships with member states. She overviewed the key relationships of the Sustainable Development team and encouraged the incoming team to maintain strong relationships with the PGA, the President of ECOSOC, the Secretariat and other UN agents that fund various programmes. Ms. Freckleton concluded her presentation by stressing that stress-management, communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills will serve the incoming OPGA well.

Mr. Andrea Pontiroli, Senior Adviser on Migration, Refugees and Humanitarian Issues of the 73rd OPGA, spoke last during the Friday workshop. Mr. Pontiroli provided remarks on his experience with the Global Compact for Migration agreement and described the actions taken, noting the negotiation skills necessary for successful outcomes. He also spoke on new procedures, which will enable flexibility to ensure work can be done in a practical manner. Mr. Pontiroli stressed that the incoming OPGA must remember they have been selected to advise the PGA because of their expertise and political knowledge, which will serve them well during the 76th General Assembly. Mr. Suazo provided closing remarks at the conclusion of the first day of the transition workshop. He showed his appreciation for Ecuador, Finland, and Malaysia for supporting this inaugural workshop and reminded participants of the second session occurring 7 September.

H.E. Ms. Sofia Borges, former Chef de Cabinet of the 72nd OPGA, then joined the session to present her experiences, advice, and best practices. She stressed that priority is the blueprint to success. Ms. Borges explained that figuring out how to communicate in a way that captures audiences is important, so as to gain visibility of the work of OPGA. She highlighted the role of youth in OPGA and stated that skills relevant to one’s digital footprint and creativity are key to successful communications. Ms.  Borges concluded by acknowledging that the virtual space gives room for innovation in communication and curation.

Next to speak was Mr. Mark Seddon, former UN Correspondent and former Senior Information Officer of the 73rd OPGA, who appeared virtually. Mr. Seddon explained that the busiest component of OPGA is the General Assembly. He spoke that he believes the Presidency of the Maldives, which often leads the way in addressing climate issues, will provide a much-needed media spotlight on issues such as sea-level rise. Mr. Seddon stated that journalists will be very interested in the agenda items of the 76th OPGA and will therefore cover these issues more in-depth. Mr. Seddon concluded by highlighting the importance of media training and preparation ahead of the General Assembly.