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

PRIVATE SECTOR NEEDED TO HELP FINANCE GLOBAL GOALS

• The President is speaking this afternoon at a Private Sector Luncheon on Financing for Development.
• The event has been organized by the International Chamber of Commerce and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Conference on Trade and Development (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCTAD).
• He is expected to say that we currently do not have enough money to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The funds are out there. But they need to be unlocked. And the private sector holds the key.
• Asked how the President intended to convince the private sector to help finance the SDGs, the Spokesperson said that the President would engage with the private sector through events such as the one today and also the high-level meeting on financing for sustainable development that he would convene on 11 June. The President would endeavour to show private sector partners that they had a stake in this issue as they would also benefit from living and working on a sustainable planet.

PRESIDENT CHATS WITH YOUTH ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS

• This morning, the President hosted a Twitter chat. The topic was human rights and young people.
• This is the third Twitter chat that the President has held since taking office. It is part of his efforts to bring the United Nations closer to youth.

PRESIDENT¡¯S FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE SUMMARY AVAILABLE ONLINE

• Asked whether the President currently served as a European Union (EU) official, the Spokesperson said that Mr. Laj?¨¢k¡¯s primary role was to serve as President of the United Nations General Assembly. He also held the position of Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. He did not currently hold any EU position.
• Asked when the President would make his personal financial disclosure summary public, the Spokesperson said the summary had already been posted on the President¡¯s web site late last year.
• Asked to elaborate on the President¡¯s role in the Diplomatic Corps Service Administration, which was mentioned on his financial disclosure summary, the Spokesperson later said that the Administration offers real estate services to the diplomatic corps in Slovakia.
• The sole shareholder of the company is the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. The legal representative of the shareholder is the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic (President Laj?¨¢k).
• The Spokesperson added that every Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic automatically holds this position. Noting that the Diplomatic Corps Service Administration has a board, the Spokesperson clarified that President Laj?¨¢k¡¯s only role is to formalize decisions with his signature.
• The Spokesperson noted that this is not a paid position. President Laj?¨¢k receives no salary or compensation of any kind from this role.