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

PRESIDENT RETURNS TO NEW YORK FROM TRIP TO FRANCE, BAHRAIN, U.A.E.

• The President flew into New York this morning and is now back in the office.
• He was just in the United Arab Emirates, where he met with that country’s Foreign Minister and attended the Bani Yas Forum, which brings together international officials for discussions on global and regional affairs.
• Prior to that, he was in Bahrain, where he addressed the World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum and met with Bahraini leaders, including the King.
• Before that, he was in Paris, France. There, he spoke at the Leaders’ Forum of the UNESCO General Conference and met with the French Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition.

PRESIDENT APPOINTS SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM CO-CHAIRS

• Right before his departure to France, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the President sent a letter to Member States on 30 October, informing them that he had appointed the new Co-Chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform. They are the Permanent Representatives to the United Nations of Georgia and the United Arab Emirates.
• The Co-chairs are expected to guide the Member States’ discussions on the topic of Security Council reform.
• In 2008, the Member States agreed on five key issues of the IGN: categories of membership; the question of the veto; regional representation; size of an enlarged Security Council and working methods of the Council; and the relationship between the Council and the General Assembly.
• The President will be meeting with the Permanent Representative of Georgia this afternoon to discuss his new role as one of the Co-chairs. He will also attend a working dinner tonight on Security Council reform with the Permanent Representatives of the G4 countries (Brazil, Germany, India, Japan).
• Tomorrow morning the President will preside over and address the General Assembly, which will be considering its agenda item on Security Council reform.
• Asked by a journalist about what kind of progress could be expected on Security Council reform, the Spokesperson urged the reporter to pay attention to the statement that the President would deliver in the General Assembly the following day, which would lay out the President’s philosophy on Security Council reform. The Spokesperson added that this process was in the hands of the Member States and that the President would do whatever they allowed him to do – to take the process forward.

DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE WRAPS UP WORK, SENDS DRAFT RESOLUTIONS TO PLENARY

• On 2 November, the First Committee, which handles disarmament and international security, concluded its session. It sent 58 draft resolutions and decisions to the General Assembly. Thirty of those were adopted by a recorded vote.
• These drafts will now be considered by the General Assembly Plenary – probably in early December.