HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESS BRIEFING BY BRENDEN VARMA,?SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT MIROSLAV LAJ??K

United Nations Headquarters, New York

29 January 2018

 

AFGHANISTAN: PRESIDENT ALARMED BY TERROR ATTACKS

  • On Saturday, the President strongly the suicide bombing that took place that day in Kabul.
  • He added that he was alarmed by the recent spate of vicious attacks across Afghanistan. He said the General Assembly stood firmly with the Afghan Government – for peace and against terrorism.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEEDED TO MAKE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT A REALITY

  • This afternoon the President will convene a briefing for Member States on the multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • That forum is part of global efforts to implement the SDGs.
  • The President is expected to say that science and technology are fundamental to ensuring that sustainable development becomes a universal reality.
  • Meanwhile, as innovation and technology spread, we must avoid perpetuating the digital divide. We should also make sure that women and girls are empowered to fully benefit from and contribute to science and technology.

 

PRESIDENT TO HOLD TWITTER CHAT ON YOUTH & ENVIRONMENT

  • The President will hold his second live Twitter chat tomorrow from 11.00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The topic will be “Youth for a Sustainable Planet”.
  • Questions can be sent in advance. Tweet #Ask蘑菇视频PGA?to join the conversation.

 

ASSEMBLY’S WORK SHOULD BENEFIT PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

  • Asked about the President’s positions on inequality, as a contributing factor to poverty, the Spokesperson said that the President’s focus for the 72nd session of the General Assembly was people.
  • The President wanted to ensure that the General Assembly’s work translated into real action that would allow all people throughout the world to live decent lives on a sustainable planet. He supported efforts to tackle poverty and promote the kind of sustainable development that would equally benefit people across the globe.

 

UP TO SECRETARIAT TO PROVIDE PERFORMANCE REPORTS TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  • The Spokesperson was asked what would happen if there was disagreement over whether the Secretariat was fulfilling mandates outlined in the United Nations’ recently adopted budget – and whether there was a role for the President in that regard. The Spokesperson replied that it was up to the Secretary-General to provide periodic performance reports, which would focus on financial aspects, to the General Assembly.
  • When the reporter referred to a specific budget line that referred to posts in the Department of Public Information, the Spokesperson responded that it would be premature to comment on whether this line was being complied with; he added that it would not be up to the President to weigh in on such a specific staffing matter within the Secretariat.
  • Asked when exactly the Secretariat would report on its compliance with the budget that had been adopted by the General Assembly in December 2017, the Spokesperson later added that the first performance report would be expected at the end of 2018, and the second by the end of 2019.