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

United Nations Headquarters, New York

6 March 2018

 

PRESIDENT TO CONVENE PEACEBUILDING RETREAT

  • This afternoon, the President will convene a retreat on peacebuilding and sustaining peace. It will last until tomorrow. It is being organized in collaboration with the International Peace Institute and Dag Hammarskj?ld Foundation.
  • This is part of his roadmap leading to the high-level meeting on peacebuilding and sustaining peace, which he will convene on 24 and 25 April in New York.
  • The goal of the retreat is to discuss sustaining peace in practice with governments and international, regional and sub-regional organizations.

LATEST DRAFT ON MIGRATION COMPACT NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

  • Regarding the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, a “zero draft plus” is now available online.
  • This latest draft of the world’s first global compact on migration contains technical updates and clarifications.
  • The second round of intergovernmental negotiations on the compact will start on Monday 12 March. The issues to be discussed will be: differentiation between irregular and regular; differentiation between migrants and refugees; implementation and capacity-building; and follow-up and review.

PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES TIMOR-LESTE FOR SIGNING HISTORIC TREATY WITH AUSTRALIA

  • The President met this morning with E. Mr. Aurélio Sérgio Cristóv?o Guterres, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
  • They discussed issues related to the region, sustaining peace and sustainable development.
  • The President congratulated Timor-Leste on the signature of a historic treaty with Australia establishing permanent maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea.
  • On sustaining peace, the President commended Timor-Leste as a good example of consolidation of democracy and peace. He looked forward to Mr. Xanana Gusmao’s participation in the High-level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace that he would convene in April.
  • He also invited high-level representatives of Timor-Leste to attend his upcoming events on water, youth, and financing for development.

 

PRESIDENT WORRIED BY MURDERS IN SLOVAKIA, CALLS FOR THOROUGH INVESTIGATION

  • In response to questions, the Spokesperson said that the President has been closely following the situation in Slovakia and is worried.
  • The President was deeply saddened to hear of the brutal murders of Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak and his partner Martina Ku?nírová.
  • The President has called for a swift reaction and thorough investigation into the deaths of these two innocent people.
  • He feels that no effort should be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice.
  • He strongly believes that journalists must be protected and be free to work in a safe environment.
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