Making the United Nations Relevant to all PeoplePRESS BRIEFING BY MONICA GRAYLEY,?SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT MAR?A FERNANDA ESPINOSA
Good afternoon, everyone!
Hope all is well with you.
PRESIDENT ESPINOSA SPEAKS AT THE OPENING OF COP24
Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa spoke today at the opening of the 蘑菇视频 Conference on Climate Change, COP24, in Katowice, Poland.
Global leaders, 蘑菇视频 officials and civil society representatives are gathering in Poland to finalise the Paris Agreement Work Programme, the so-called “Rulebook” on how to implement, finance and measure climate action.
In her address, the President of the General Assembly asked the question; what is stopping the world from taking the necessary action to stop climate change? Ms. Espinosa invited participants to make Katowice the symbol of audacity, courage and?the place where the decisions are made to achieve the results we all know have to be achieved if we are to meet the targets agreed in Paris. The PGA also said: “We must do the right thing to build a safe and sustainable world for all today and for generations to come.”
Ms. Espinosa met the President of Poland, H.E. Andrzej Duda, as well as several other Heads of State and Government, and 蘑菇视频 officials.
She will to return to her office tomorrow.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
The PGA recorded a video today to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The message was shown this morning at the special event: “Empowering Persons with Disabilities and Ensuring Inclusiveness and Equality”, which is the theme for this year. The 蘑菇视频 says that the world has over 1 billion people leaving with some form of disability. About 80% of the people with disabilities live in developing countries.
Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa recalls that regrettably, millions of persons with disabilities continue to face adverse environments, situations in which they are excluded, stigmatized and discriminated. You will remember that Ms. Espinosa launched the Steering Committee on Accessibility with the participation of Member States, civil society organizations and the Secretariat.
In her video message today, Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa invited all participants to redouble their political commitment with people with disabilities to empower them and to promote their full inclusion in the society. Ms. Espinosa recalls that a world which fully includes people with disabilities will be a more human and fairer world.
PGA’s AGENDA
On the agenda: Yesterday, President Espinosa visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum to pay tribute to Holocaust victims. In a tweet she said: “atrocities committed here are hard to reconcile; Antisemitism and discrimination can never be allowed to flourish.” She has granted interviews to several media outlets including AFP, NHK, EFE and Deutsche Welle. The PGA also met HRH, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. She also met representatives of the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC), the President of Nepal, Her Excellency Bidhya Devi Bhandari, and held separate meetings with students and young indigenous people.
STAKEOUT ON GLOBAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST PLASTIC POLLUTION ON 4 DECEMBER AT 11 AM
And finally: You are all invited to a stakeout tomorrow, Tuesday, 4 December, at 11 am, in front of the PGA’s Office on the launch of the Global Campaign against Plastic Pollution. The PGA and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, H.E. Gaston Browne, and the Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway, Mari Skare, will be there to answer your questions.
This is all from us today. I am now happy to take your questions.
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