PRESS BRIEFING BY BRENDEN VARMA, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT VOLKAN BOZKIR

United Nations Headquarters, New York

19 October 2020

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PRESIDENT MEETS U.N. RIGHTS CHIEF, DISCUSSES NEED TO UPHOLD HUMAN RIGHTS DURING PANDEMIC

  • This morning the President held a with Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. This was their first meeting.
  • They spoke about multilateralism and human rights being challenged precisely when they were needed the most. They also discussed the importance of upholding human rights during the COVID-19 pandemic ¨C as well as their shared priority of protecting vulnerable populations.
  • The President highlighted that respect for and protection of human rights are integral to the work of the General Assembly and his priorities for the 75th session.

COVID-19: PRESIDENT SHARES UPDATE ON U.N. SUPPORT WITH MEMBER STATES

  • In a letter to Member States on Friday evening, the President shared an update by the Secretary-General on how the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ system is supporting its Member States in coping with the health, socioeconomic, humanitarian and human rights consequences of COVID-19.
  • That update was requested by the General Assembly in three resolutions during the 74th session.
  • In his letter, the President wrote that this is ¡°a most important subject matter.¡± And he expressed the hope that it would be explored further when he convenes the General Assembly¡¯s special session on COVID-19.

ASSEMBLY¡¯S 2ND COMMITTEE HEARS FROM U.N. REGIONAL COMMISSIONS

  • This morning the General Assembly¡¯s Second Committee ¨C or Economic and Financial?Committee?¨C is holding a virtual dialogue with the?Executive Secretaries of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ¡¯s regional commissions.
  • This afternoon, the Second Committee will consider the agenda item entitled ¡°Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources¡±.
  • It will hear a briefing from Tarik Alami, the Director of the Emerging and Conflict-Related Issues Division at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

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