HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESS BRIEFING BY BRENDEN VARMA, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT MIROSLAV LAJČÁK

United Nations Headquarters, New York

23 October 2017

This afternoon, the President chaired the second meeting of the General Committee. The first was held on 13 September.
The Committee considered Member States’ requests to include additional items on the General Assembly’s agenda.

This week is International Law Week.
The General Assembly’s Sixth Committee, which handles legal matters, started considering the Report of the International Law Commission today.
In addition, the Heads of Legal Departments and legal advisers from Member States’ capitals are at United Nations Headquarters to engage in informal discussions with each other

The General Assembly’s Third Committee – or Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee – is continuing to hold interactive dialogues with United Nations Special Rapporteurs this week.
This morning it heard from the Special Rapporteurs on the right to food; on the right to education; and on extreme poverty and human rights.
This afternoon, it was expected to hear from the Special Rapporteurs on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living; and on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

The Spokesperson was asked about the dates for tabling and adopting country specific resolutions in the Third Committee.
He later responded that the deadline for submission of resolutions under agenda item 72 (c) [Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives] was 31 October at 1:00 p.m. This item normally included the country specific resolutions.
He added that it was up to Member States to submit resolutions, including country specific resolutions. These would then be considered by the Committee at a date yet to be determined. Traditionally, country specific resolutions were adopted during the penultimate week of the Committee’s session (the week of 13 November).

The Spokesperson was asked what the General Assembly President thought about delegates in the General Assembly’s First Committee calling for a shift of global expenditures from weapons to development. The journalist added that $1.7 trillion had been spent on arms in 2016.
The Spokesperson replied that the President had already delivered a statement on this exact matter since it was important to him.
The Spokesperson later added that this statement had been delivered to the First Committee on 2 October. Specifically, the President had said: “Global military spending grew to a reported US$1.686 trillion in 2016. Let me state that again: 1.686 trillion dollars. This while millions live in extreme poverty, lack access to basic services and go hungry. While we increase spending on arms and defence, we fail to adequately secure our planet, our health, our well-being. I therefore call on Member States to summon the political will to do more. We must show courage and exercise flexibility in order to advance the ultimate aim of ensuring a peaceful and secure environment, for all.”

The Spokesperson was asked about whether the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, which handles administrative and budgetary matters, was considering changes to the United Nations Department of Field Support.
The Spokesperson later added that the Secretary-General’s report on management reform was currently under consideration by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly. It would then move to the Fifth Committee during the main session.
The Secretary-General had proposed separating policy from operations by establishing two different departments: one for policy and compliance and the other to support operations. This would require the re-engineering of the existing Departments of Management and Field Support.

Asked about the status of the report on the death of Dag Hammarskjöld that the Secretary-General was to transmit to the General Assembly, the Spokesperson later noted that this report had not yet been received by the General Assembly.
He added that agenda item 130 (Investigation into the conditions and circumstances resulting in the tragic death of Dag Hammarskjöld and of the members of the party accompanying him) was scheduled to be considered by the General Assembly on 6 December.