PRESS BRIEFING BY REEM ABAZA,?SPOKESPERSON FOR?GENERAL ASSEMBLY?PRESIDENT TIJJANI MUHAMMAD-BANDE
United Nations Headquarters, New York
18 November 2019
Nuclear Free Zone
The President of the 74th session of the General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande participated in the Conference on the establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass destruction.
The President said that “we know that any use of nuclear weapons would be a humanitarian and ecological catastrophe. The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) remains the cornerstone of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, including the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.”
Mr. Muhammed-Bande said that Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones can help consolidate efforts towards peace and security.
He added that achieving a nuclear weapon-free world is a universal aspiration for ensuring peace and security as “we move forward towards the centenary of our Organization.”
You can find the full remarks on the PGA’s website: un.org/pga/74
FAO Fisheries
The President of the General Assembly sent a video message to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability.
He said that he firmly believes that sustainable fisheries are integral to efforts under his priorities: Poverty Eradication and Zero Hunger.
He added that fish and fishing provide food security to millions of people and sources of income.
He pointed out that 90% of fish stocks are fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted and 3 out of every 10 marine mammals are on the verge of extinction.
The PGA said that policy making, based on scientific evidence can halt and reverse these trends and emphasized the need to end food waste if we are to reach zero hunger by 2030 as one third of fish caught are wasted.
One-on-One Forum
At 3.15 today in the ECOSOC Chamber, the office of the President of the General Assembly and Department of Global Communications will organize a “One-on-One Forum with the PGA”.
The President of the General Assembly and members of civil society organizations will have a conversation moderated by the Under-Secretary General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming.
The event will be streamed live on webtv.un.org
CRC30
On Wednesday November 20, there will be a High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the 30th anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The meeting will involve the meaningful participation of children and will encourage Member States to reflect on and renew their commitment to the Convention.?