Dane to head UN General Assembly

Mogens Lykketoft, the current speaker of parliament, will become the first person from his country to fill the prestigious post

Mogens Lykketoft, the former leader of Socialdemokraterne (S) and the current speaker of parliament, has been elected the next president of the United Nations General Assembly.

Never before has a Dane filled this prestigious post.

READ MORE: Lykketoft favourite for top UN job

Representing the western group
Lykketoft was selected as a candidate for the UN western group representing Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, which chooses a new representative every five years.

He will start his new post in New York in September 2015 and replace Uganda’s Sam Kutesa.

Exciting assignemnt
“It will be an exciting, but also complicated assignment,” Lykketoft told TV2 News. 

 “I will enter the post with the approach that the United Nations is important – especially for a small country like Denmark."  

First ever Dane
The president, who provides over the sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, is elected by the assembly's representatives. 

Lykketoft will become the first ever Danish president when the UN General Assembly’s 70th session gets underway. 

Norway and Sweden held the position in 1970 and 2005 respectively.

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