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

PRESIDENT’S PRESS CONFERENCE POSTPONED UNTIL 20 DEC.

• Due to a last-minute change in the President’s schedule, he had to postpone the press conference that he was meant to deliver today.
• It will now be held on Wednesday 20 December at 1:00 p.m.

HUMAN RIGHTS AN INHERENT PART OF HUMANITY, CAN’T BE TAKEN AWAY

• The President delivered remarks at a Human Rights Day event at Headquarters today, alongside the Secretary-General.
• He said, “Human rights are an inherent part of humanity. And they always will be. Yes, they can be trampled on. They can be violated. And they can be denied. But they can never be taken away. Not by any law, policy, or action.”

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS 4 RESOLUTIONS ON HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

• The General Assembly plenary met this morning and adopted four resolutions under the agenda item: Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance.

HUMAN RIGHTS RESOLUTIONS TO REACH PLENARY LATER THIS MONTH

• In response to questions, the Spokesperson later said that the Third Committee’s draft resolutions on the human rights situations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran and Syria, would be considered by the General Assembly plenary on 19 December.
• Regarding the draft resolution on the human rights situation in Myanmar, since that had budgetary implications, it would first need to be considered by the Fifth Committee. That had not yet happened. As such, there was no set date yet for the draft to reach the Plenary.

NOT FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO “OVERSEE” SECURITY COUNCIL

• The Spokesperson was asked whether there was a “body that could oversee the Security Council” given that the Council had authorized “catastrophic” sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and whether the General Assembly could play a role in that regard.
• The Spokesperson replied that, just like the General Assembly, the Security was its own organ with its own leadership. There were times when the General Assembly could take action in the event that the Security Council was unable to act, e.g. through the Assembly’s “Uniting for Peace” resolution from 1950. The General Assembly could also hold special sessions and emergency special sessions, if requested to do so by a majority of Member States or the Security Council itself.
• However, it was not for the General Assembly to “oversee” the Security Council.

NO LINKS BETWEEN PRESIDENT & CHINA ENERGY FUND COMMITTEE

• Asked when the President had been made aware of corruption charges against the head of the China Energy Fund Committee (CEFC), which was accredited to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Spokesperson said the President learned of this matter after the related press release had been issued by the United States Department of Justice in November.
• At previous briefings, the Spokesperson had noted that there were no links between the President and the CEFC or its head.