Press briefing by Mr. Daniel Thomas, Communications Director and Spokesperson for the President of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Mogens Lykketoft
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Mr Thomas made the following announcements and took some questions.
Just after 10 am this morning in the General Assembly, the President of the UN General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft made a short statement about the recent loss of life and carnage visited upon the cities of Ankara, Baghdad, Beirut, Paris and beyond.
He said: I think we all have been deeply saddened, shocked and outraged by the loss of life and incredible carnage in recent weeks in very many places around the world– among them Ankara and Baghdad, over the Sinai, in Beirut, and this past weekend in Paris. We mourn with those that lost their friends and loved ones and those, whose lives are deeply shattered or destroyed.
He continued: In these most difficult moments, when pain and grief can so swiftly turn to anger and intolerance, we, the General Assembly, must stand together, united by our collective resolve to advance peace, justice, human rights and prosperity for all.
He then called for a minute of silence in memory of the victims and as a sign of solidarity.
On Wednesday morning (18 November) at 11am, the General Assembly will meet to elect by acclamation the SG’s nominee for the post of UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Filippo Grandi.
Mr. Staffan de Mistura, the SG’s Special Envoy on Syria will give an informal briefing to member states in the Trusteeship Council on Thursday 19 November from 1130 am until 1 pm. There is no list of speakers and this will be an informal interactive meeting.
From 3pm to 6pm in the afternoon on Thursday, 19 November, the President of the General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft will in the Trusteeship Council chamber chair an INFORMAL MEETING OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON WAYS TO ADVANCE A COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO THE GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN AND REFUGEE CRISIS.
Confirmed speakers for that informal, inter-active session include, the Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee David Miliband, Co-Chair of the High Level Panel of the SG on Humanitarian Financing and VP of the EU Commission Kristalina Georgieva, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and Special Envoy to the President of the World Bank Mahmoud Mohieldin.
This will precede a formal plenary meeting of the General Assembly starting at 11am on 20 November to consider agenda item 130 “Global awareness of the tragedies of irregular migrants in the Mediterranean basic with specific emphasis on Syrian asylum seekers” .