PRESS BRIEFING
BY MONICA GRAYLEY,?
SPOKESPERSON FOR?GENERAL ASSEMBLY?
PRESIDENT DENNIS FRANCIS
United Nations Headquarters, New York
11 September 2023
[As delivered]
Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you are well.
To our?Dag Hammarskj?ld Fellows, a warm welcome to the Briefing Room. It is very nice to have you here.
EARTHQUAKE IN MOROCCO: GA OBSERVES MINUTE OF SILENCE
The General Assembly will observe a minute of silence, later today, in tribute to the memory of the victims of the earthquake in Morocco.
PGA Dennis Francis issued a tweet, on Saturday, expressing his deep sadness by the news of this devastating tragedy.
During a telephone call with the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations, H.E. Omar Hilale, he conveyed his sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, to the people and the government of Morocco.
President Francis called on the international community to stand together in support of Morocco in this time of sorrow.
GA PLENARY MEETING ON VETO
This afternoon at 3 pm, Mr. Francis will preside over a plenary meeting following a veto cast by a Member State at the Security Council on the ¡°situation in Mali¡±.?The meeting will be webcast by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ WebTV, and?a letter with all details was sent to you last week and can be found on the PGA¡¯s website under the section Documents/Letters.
Letter from the PGA ¨C Veto initiative | General Assembly of the United Nations
GA INFORMAL MEETING ON PAKISTAN ON 27 SEPTEMBER
Last Friday, I was asked by our colleague,?Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, of the Associated Press of Pakistan, on the informal meeting of the GA to hear a briefing on the GA resolution 77/1 of 7 October 2022 entitled ¡°Solidarity with and support for the Government and people of Pakistan and strengthening of emergency relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and prevention in the wake of recent devastating floods¡±.
The meeting will take place on 27 September 2023 at 10 AM in the Trusteeship Council Chamber. There will be no pre-established list of speakers.
PGA FRANCIS REMEMBERS VICTIMS OF SEPTEMBER 11
I will now read a statement by the PGA on the anniversary of the attacks of 11 September 2001.
¡°On this day, we recall and remember with deep sorrow and sadness, the September 11, 2001, attacks which took the precious lives of approximately 3,000 of citizens of several countries from across the world.?
On this day, the unforgettable memory of that tragedy must remind us of the values of human tolerance and common understanding. It is also a time to reflect deeper on the urgent imperative for the international community to collectively counter terrorism and extremism, wherever it exists and in all its forms and manifestations.
As the international community and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly that I am privileged to lead as President, we must join hands and say never again. We must intensify our efforts to build, maintain and strengthen cross-cultural tolerance and respect, religious, ethnic and common understanding among all our nations and their peoples.¡±
This is the end of the statement, and that is all from us. Do you have any questions?
Question on the minute of silence
Question on the plenary meeting on the veto
END
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