{"id":173546,"date":"2018-12-17T19:03:42","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T00:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/73\/?p=173546"},"modified":"2018-12-26T12:21:05","modified_gmt":"2018-12-26T17:21:05","slug":"press-briefing-by-spokesperson-17-december-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/73\/2018\/12\/17\/press-briefing-by-spokesperson-17-december-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Press Briefing by Spokesperson \u2013 17 December 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

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PRESS BRIEFING BY MONICA GRAYLEY,\u00a0<\/strong>SPOKESPERSON FOR <\/strong>GENERAL ASSEMBLY <\/strong>PRESIDENT MAR\u00cdA FERNANDA ESPINOSA<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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United Nations Headquarters, New York<\/strong><\/p>\n

17 December 2018<\/span><\/p>\n

[As delivered]<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS GLOBAL COMPACT ON REFUGEES<\/b><\/p>\n

The President of the General Assembly, Ms. Mar\u00eda Fernanda Espinosa, has chaired this morning the 55th<\/sup>\u00a0plenary session at the General Assembly Hall which adopted the Global Compact on Refugees as part of the \u201cReport of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions \u2013 Item 65\u201d. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The resolution on the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees which includes the Global Compact on Refugees was adopted with 181 votes in favour, two against and three abstentions.<\/p>\n

The 55th<\/sup>\u00a0plenary session is considering several items on reports of the Third Committee including social development, advancement of women, protection of the rights of children, rights of indigenous people among other issues.<\/p>\n

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PGA CONCLUDES OFFICIAL VISIT TO QATAR<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b>President Espinosa concluded yesterday her official visit to Qatar. The President of the General Assembly was a guest speaker at the Doha Forum, on Saturday. The PGA affirmed that and I quote: \u201cMultilateralism through dialogue, negotiation and international cooperation provides the best platform to discuss and reach agreements through a common understanding. That is why I am fully committed, during my presidency, to advocate and help preserve multilateralism in all its forms and at all levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms.\u00a0Espinosa met with His Excellency,\u00a0Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar\u00a0and several Qatari authorities. She also visited the\u00a0Al Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities and met with leading women from the Qatar Foundation for Social Work. Ms. Espinosa granted several interviews to media outlets from the region and abroad.<\/p>\n

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PGA\u2019s AGENDA<\/b><\/p>\n

Earlier this morning, Ms. Espinosa granted an interview to a Latin America based NYT correspondent. \u00a0After chairing the session at the GA Hall, Ms. Espinosa is granting an interview to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ News and will take part in the event to mark the Global Compact on Refugees which will be held at 1.30 pm at the Trusteeship Council. She will deliver opening remarks accompanied by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Deputy-Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Refugees.\u00a0 This afternoon, the PGA will have separate bilateral meetings with the Ambassadors of Canada and Ghana, who are co-facilitating the Financial for Development High-Level event. She will also meet on the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Security Council process, which has the United Arab Emirates and Luxembourg as co-facilitators.\u00a0 The PGA will also receive the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines in her office, and grant later an interview to Univision at her office.<\/p>\n

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This is all from us. Now I am happy to take your questions.<\/p>\n

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