News
UN launches year-long celebration of vital role of world’s forests
2 February 2011– Recognizing the role that forests play in everything from mitigating climate change to providing wood, medicines and livelihoods for people worldwide, the United Nations today kicked off a year-long celebration to raise awareness of the value of this important resource.
‘Real’ talks on Council reform may begin this year, Assembly President says
17 January 2011– General Assembly President Joseph Deiss said today he hopes “real negotiations” may at last get under way this year in the almost two-decades-long process to enlarge the Security Council, bringing the United Nations body whose decisions are binding into line with the Organization’s current membership.
In China, General Assembly President confers with officials on UN priorities
10 January 2011– General Assembly President Joseph Deiss has been conferring with Chinese officials on a range of issues on the United Nations agenda, including the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), sustainable development, global governance, and reform of the world body.
Assembly President hails new momentum for global anti-poverty goals
23 December 2010– As the General Assembly wraps up the main part of its 65th session, its President today hailed the summit with which it opened for galvanizing momentum towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reverse a global legacy of poverty and attendant ills.
General Assembly President stresses role of parliaments in eradicating poverty
3 December 2010– Parliaments have a crucial role to play in helping States achieve the global poverty reduction goals that the world has set out to attain in the next five years, the President of the General Assembly, Joseph Deiss, said today, urging national assemblies to ensure governments stay focused on their commitments.
Assembly President addresses UN, global governance during visit to France
19 November 2010 – Issues related to global governance, the Group of 20 (G20) leading economies and Security Council reform were among those discussed by General Assembly President Joseph Deiss during his official visit to France.
Progress on Security Council reform rests with UN membership – top official
11 November 2010 – The President of the General Assembly today kicked off an annual debate on reforming the Security Council by urging Member States to show the necessary flexibility and creativity needed to make progress on an issue that has been the subject of discussion for 17 years.
In Hiroshima, General Assembly President pays tribute to atomic bomb victims
28 October 2010 – General Assembly President Joseph Deiss today laid a wreath in Hiroshima to honour the memory of the more than 100,000 people who died in the atomic bomb blast 65 years ago.
On 65th anniversary, UN resolves ‘to do more’ for peace, development
22 October 2010 – Marking its 65th anniversary, the United Nations has reaffirmed its commitment to promote peace, development and human rights, pledging enhanced action to achieve its global mission.
General Assembly President to embark on visit to Japan
19 October 2010 – General Assembly President Joseph Deiss will visit Japan later this month, where he will meet with top officials in the Asian nation, it was announced today.
General Assembly President confers with Security Council counterpart
Joseph Deiss, President of the 65th session of the General Assembly
General Assembly President urges more support for African development goals
14 October 2010 – The President of the United Nations General Assembly today underlined the need to devote increased financial and technical resources to priority areas of African development, particularly agriculture, to increase the potential of States on the continent to achieve their goals.
General Assembly President calls for expanded microfinance services to fight poverty
13 October 2010 – The President of the General Assembly Joseph Deiss today underscored the importance of microfinance as a means of alleviating poverty, citing improvements in the lot of poor women who have had access to financial services they previously lacked.
Security Council and General Assembly presidents discuss key global issues
30 September 2010 – General Assembly Joseph Deiss today held discussions with this month’s Security Council President Ertugrul Apakan, Turkey’s Permanent Representative, a day after wrapping up the Assembly’s annual opening session at which many speakers called for a realignment of United Nations power.
Assembly President calls on Member States to be ‘brave enough’ to move forward
29 September 2010 – The General Assembly wrapped up its opening annual session today with a fervent appeal from its President for Member States to show the courage needed to move beyond deadlock to achieve peace in the world’s flashpoints and translate fine words on combating poverty into action.
Assembly President discusses key issues with dozens of world leaders
29 September 2010 – General Assembly President Joseph Deiss has held meetings with dozens of world leaders and other senior officials and heads of regional groups on the sidelines of high-level events at United Nations Headquarters in New York over the past several days.
General Assembly President confers with leaders at high-level debate
24 September 2010 – General Assembly President Joseph Deiss today met with a number of leaders attending the high-level debate and thanked them for their positive statements and determination to press ahead with efforts to achieve the internationally agreed targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).General Assembly President warns against marginalization of UN
Joseph Deiss
23 September 2010 – Only the United Nations has the breadth of membership, the experience and the presence on the ground to effectively represent the world’s people and their interests, General Assembly President Joseph Deiss said today, warning of the risk that the Organization could be overshadowed by other international groups.
Countries welcome new Assembly President’s focus on global governance
21 September 2010 – Several countries have expressed support for the initiative of the General Assembly President to make global governance a central theme of the current session of the United Nations body.Assembly President calls for broad-based partnership to attain MDGs
Assembly President Joseph Deiss addresses the opening high-level plenary meeting on the MDGs
Member States focus on reducing poverty ahead of UN summit
Joseph Deiss, President of the 65th session of the General Assembly
Development, environment and UN reform the focus of new Assembly session
Ali Treki (right), outgoing President of the General Assembly, passes the gavel to his successor Joseph Deiss. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon applauds