NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS
Spokesperson for General Assembly President Csaba K?r?si
United Nations Headquarters, New York
Friday, 17 March 2023
CYCLONE FREDDY
You will likely hear from Stephane more about what the United Nations and partners are doing to support countries impacted by Cyclone Freddy.
President K?r?si has said that he stands with all those affected by Cyclone Freddy in Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar.
He extended his personal thoughts and condolences, and commended those providing much-needed relief and support.
Related tweet:
CSW
The Commission on the Status of Women is expected to wrap up its work today, with the Agreed Conclusions document.
You likely saw President K?r?si¡¯s tweet yesterday giving support to the process, and urging the authors to remember that their decisions matter outside of the negotiating room, to the women and girls looking to them for solutions.
The President has been outspoken about the use of technology to help women and girls, including to help stop violence against women and girls. You will recall that he organized a conversation last week with Member States, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ officials, business and civil society representatives, as well as the New York City Mayor¡¯s Office to End Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence. It was an opportunity to hear what these groups were doing to stem violence and to help survivors.
I had shared a press release from that conversation and will resend it with my notes: ?/pga/77/2023/03/09/un-hears-calls-from-governments-business-and-survivors-for-tech-solutions-to-tackle-violence-against-women/
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ WATER CONFERENCE
Turning to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Water Conference¡
Since we spoke on Wednesday, the list of speakers for the Conference General Debate has been put out. I will include the link with my notes. There are currently 187 Member States, regional groups and civil society organizations inscribed for the General Debate. The List of Speakers for the General Debate portion is available here:
I had been asked about the opening.
As I put in my notes from Wednesday, the opening statements will be made by the Presidents of the Conference, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the General Assembly, the President of the Economic and Social Council, the Secretary-General of the Conference and the Chair of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ-Water.?This is stipulated in the modalities resolution 75/212 (2020) on page 9 of that document, which I will also include with today¡¯s notes. .
In addition to the General Debate, there will also be five interactive dialogues , and side events .
The Water Action Agenda (all the commitments and actions) are available at .
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WEEK AHEAD
Looking ahead to next week. You know it will be a busy one.
On Monday, 20 March, at 10AM ET President K?r?si will address the opening of the 95th session of the international Civil Service Commission.
Around noon on Monday, the President will also take part virtually in the CÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵY ¨C that¡¯s the City University of New York ¨C SDG 6 Research and Innovation Marathon Relay. This is a speaking engagement, as part of New York City¡¯s Water Week.
Monday is also the Nowruz. There will be a commemoration of the International Day of Nowruz, organized by Permanent Missions, at 3PM ET in Conference Room 2.
On Tuesday, 21 March, the General Assembly will hold a plenary meeting to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. That¡¯s in the GA Hall at 11AM. Please note the start time of 11AM and not the typical 10AM ET. The theme for 2023 is: ¡°The urgency of combating racism and racial discrimination 75 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.¡± It is aligned with the organization¡¯s global campaign to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights which will take place on 10 December. In addition to President Korosi and Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres, we expect participation from New York City Mayor Eric Adams; Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris; and Professor Verene Albertha Sheperd, who is Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Tuesday afternoon, the President will speak to the sixth Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters. That starts at 3PM ET in the Trusteeship.
In the evening, the President will have a high-level working dinner organized by President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands on the occasion of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ 2023 Water Conference.
On Wednesday, 22 March, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ 2023 Water Conference begins at 9AM ET in the General Assembly Hall. You know that President K?r?si will take part in the opening.
His schedule then over the rest of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is all related to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Water Conference. Which will have a closing plenary on Friday, 24 March, starting at 3PM ET.
In addition to everything that I outlined, Member States will also be working on the mandated processes. There are now 15 ongoing, given the successful completion earlier this month of one of them.
QUESTIONS
The Spokesperson was asked about who else from the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ will take part in the New York City Water Week Event: The SDG Research and Innovation Marathon Relay. The Spokesperson said that she doesn¡¯t have a list of participants but would share the event link:
The Spokesperson was asked about all the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ entities taking part in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Water Conference. The Spokesperson said that the List of Speakers for the General Debate portion (22-24 March) is available at . In addition to the General Debate, there will also be five interactive dialogues , and side events .
The Spokesperson was asked for the President K?r?si¡¯s views on the arrest warrant issued by the ICC for President Putin, would he be willing to meet with President Putin? The Spokesperson said that President K?r?si represents all Member States of the General Assembly, which includes Russia. He has been willing and remains willing to meet with President Putin.
The Spokesperson was asked about the ICC and the General Assembly, noting a relationship between the ICC and the GA ¨C will the annual briefing be moved up? Any thoughts from the PGA? Any chance of having a GA meeting? The Spokesperson said that while the relationship exists, the ICC is independent. There are no plans to move up the annual briefing. As for a GA meeting, if a Member State requests a meeting on this topic then one would be held. The President¡¯s door is always open.
The Spokesperson was asked whether President K?r?si is worried that this could limit President Putin¡¯s movement and possibly affect diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine. The Spokesperson said that is a speculative question.
The Spokesperson was asked for the outcomes of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Water Conference. The Spokesperson said that there is a summary mandated by the modalities resolution to be compiled by the Office of the President of the General Assembly. There is also the Water Action Agenda, which already includes many commitments and actions that Member States and partners are taking: . The goal is to transform our relationship with water and with sustainability.
The Spokesperson was asked about a reaction to the upcoming 20 year anniversary of the Iraq war. The Spokesperson suggested that the journalist ask Stephane, who could advise on the work the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is doing on the ground.