NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS BY PAULINA KUBIAK GREER,
SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT ABDULLA SHAHID
United Nations Headquarters, New York
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly this morning, for the first time, held a debate in the context of resolution 76/262.
The resolution requires the General Assembly to meet within 10 days after a veto is cast in the Security Council.
Today¡¯s topic is Non-proliferation/Democratic People¡¯s Republic of Korea, following a Security Council meeting on that topic on 26 May.
The President of the General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, addressed the Assembly this morning.
On the mandate given by resolution 76/262, the so called ¡°Veto Initiative,¡± President Shahid said by encouraging reflection on every veto cast, it fosters further accountability of this great organization.
He later added that quote ¡°At this time, when questions have been raised about the Security Council¡¯s ability to carry out its mandate, and at a time when multilateralism itself is under duress, the General Assembly and its membership have demonstrated a commitment to uphold the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Charter and international law.¡±
On the issue of non-proliferation, President Shahid said that achieving a nuclear-free world is a universal hope. The existence and proliferation of these weapons poses an existential danger not only to humanity, but to all life on this planet.
He noted that the General Assembly¡¯s discussions and deliberations must renew commitments toward non-proliferation, nuclear-disarmament, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
And because we discussed the General Assembly Vice-Presidents yesterday, once President Shahid stepped away today, Ambassador Kennedy Godfrey Gastorn, the Permanent Representative of Tanzania, stepped in.
WORLD OCEANS DAY
Today is World Oceans Day.
This year¡¯s theme is ¡°Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean¡±.
In his video message to an event organized by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Office for Legal Affairs, President Shahid said the Day is an opportunity for us to work together to restore our ocean¡¯s health, which is a critical part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crises.
He encouraged participation in this year¡¯s Ocean Conference, which will be held in Lisbon, starting on 27 June.
And noted his high-level thematic dialogue on Moment for Nature, to be held on 19 July. Where the international community will assess bottlenecks and opportunities for progress and solutions.
IMRF
Yesterday after we met, the General Assembly adopted by consensus the Progress Declaration which came out of the International Migration Review Forum.
THIS AFTERNOON
This afternoon, the General Assembly will hold a debate related to the protracted conflicts in GUAM ¨C Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova.
THURSDAY
Tomorrow, the General Assembly will elect the non-permanent members of the Security Council.
The General Assembly will also debate the 2021 Report of the Security Council.
In the afternoon session on Thursday, the General Assembly will hold a debate related to HIV/AIDS. This will be the SG report that came out on 12 May of this year.
BILATERALS
And in terms of who the President is meeting with today.
President Shahid has a bilateral with Dr. Ian Borg, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta
He will also be meeting with Thomas Byrne T.D., Minister of State for European Affairs of Ireland.
The President also has a number of bilateral meetings related to the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform.
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QUESTIONS
The Spokesperson was asked how Israel could have been elected as a Vice-President of the General Assembly. The Spokesperson responded that the Vice-Presidents are elected regionally by Member States.
The Spokesperson was asked which Member States are candidates for the Security Council term 2023-2024. The Spokesperson listed Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland.
The Spokesperson was asked if anything other than a debate could result from the General Assembly meeting held today in the context of resolution 76/262. The Spokesperson said that