Transcript of the Press Briefing by the Spokesperson of the President of the General Assembly
22 October 2024
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The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today¡¯s briefing
Good afternoon, everyone
There will be a Plenary debate on the Report of the International Court of Justice on 24 October. The President of the General Assembly will deliver remarks.?
Action will be taken on a Draft resolution on Zone of Peace, Trust and cooperation of Central Asia on that day as well.
?In terms of updates on the Main Committees
First Committee
Between 7 October and 17 October, the First Committee held its general debate.
The First Committee will now proceed with thematic debates around?cluster issues including:?nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, outer space, conventional weapons and disarmament measures and international security
To note that the Committee adopted without a vote the draft decision ¡°Information on requests for votes¡± tabled by Singapore and South Africa which seeks to disclose a Member State or Member States that have requested a recorded vote.
The purpose of this decision is to increase transparency in the work of the Committee. The Chair, Her Excellency Maritza Chan Valverde announced that in implementing the decision, she would provide information on requests for votes from the podium.?
Second Committee
?Last week, Sustainable Development and 11 sub-items were at the heart of discussions in the Second Committee.?
In addressing the Committee, the President of the General Assembly stated that with less than six years until our deadline to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, we have no time to lose in meeting the development financing needs of countries in the Global South.?
The Secretary-General¡¯s reports were also introduced on the relevant items and sub-items. ?
The zero-draft resolution of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review was presented by Samoa on behalf of the G77 & China was streamlined and updated with added text to include topics such as Beyond GDP, Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, poverty, SDG stimulus and South-South cooperation.?
? Third Committee
The PGA, in addressing the Third Committee today, stressed that our collective response must be rooted in global solidarity, commitment to international law, and an unwavering respect for the promotion and protection of human rights for everyone, everywhere.?
During the week of 14-18 October, the Committee considered three substantive agenda items, :the ?Rights of children, Rights of Indigenous Peoples ??and Special procedures and other experts.?
The Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Mr. Jose? Francisco CALI? TZAY presented his report on the ¡°Rights of Indigenous Peoples¡±.?
The delegates heard reports from Mr. Volker T¨¹rk, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as reports from Special Rapporteurs on topics such as: ?internal displacement, human trafficking, the promotion of the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and the protection of human rights defenders.?
?Fourth Committee
On 17 October the 4th?Committee approved 22 draft resolutions, one decision and an amendment under the decolonization item, with 6 of those draft resolutions being adopted by recorded vote. ?
The Revitalization of the General Assembly in terms of working methods takes place today.?
Fifth Committee
With regard to the Fifth Committee – the liquidity crisis was addressed both by the Secretary-General and Member States who unanimously agreed that programme implementation is not possible without necessary and adequate financial resources.?
Discussions at the Committee will now look at improving the financial situation of the Organization, as well as considering the revised estimates for the Resident Coordinators System.?
Sixth Committee
The President addressed the Sixth Committee last week and urged Member States to embrace dialogue and unite to resolve conflicts, advance global peace and uphold international law.?
?Appointments
In terms of appointments, the President has appointed H.E. Mr. Cornel Ferut¨¦, Permanent Representative of Romania, and H.E. Ms. Mathu Joyini, Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa, as Co-chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly during the seventh-ninth session.?
?Other Updates
PGA has called for applications to the PGA Fellowship programme. The Fellowship Programme is fully in line with the growing recognition of the potential of youth to contribute to global affairs and multilateralism. The deadline for submission is 1 November 2024.??
In terms of looking ahead, the President of the General Assembly is convening a high-level meeting on 8 November to mark the closure of the International Decade for People of African Descent. There is a dedicated webpage on the General Assembly¡¯s website about this event.
?The week ahead is marked by a number of International Days and Weeks, including the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Day on 24 October. The PGA is expected to put out a video statement for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Day. ?
There is also Disarmament Week from 24-30 October and the Global Media and Information Literacy Week from 24-31 October. ?
In this regard, we encourage you to visit the President¡¯s?social media channels for his messages.?
For GA Resolutions during 79th Session: Visit: /en/ga/79/resolutions.shtml
Media?Contacts
Sharon Birch,?Spokesperson for?the President of the General Assembly,?Tel: + 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email:?birchs@un.org
Dr. Mariam Shaikh,?Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations M: +1 917 3614990,?mariam.shaikh@un.org
More Information and Updates?:?Website:????:???