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

United Nations Headquarters, New York

18 April 2018

 

ASSEMBLY HOLDS INFORMAL MEETING ON SYRIA MECHANISM

  • The General Assembly is holding an informal meeting today on the Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 (IIIM).
  • The President decided to convene this meeting in response to a letter dated 12 March from the ambassadors of Liechtenstein and Qatar – on behalf of 56 delegations.
  • At today’s meeting, the Head of the IIIM presented her report. That was then followed by a discussion by the United Nations membership.

 

U.N. WAS BUILT TO PREVENT CONFLICTS

  • The President will speak this afternoon at an event called “Preventing Tomorrow’s Conflicts”.
  • It is being organized by the Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations and United Nations University.
  • The President is expected to say that the United Nations was built to prevent conflicts. Therefore, we cannot strengthen our multilateral system, without making conflict prevention a priority.

 

NO DEADLINE FOR CANDIDATES IN ELECTION OF NEXT ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

  • In response to questions related to the election of the next President of the General Assembly, the Spokesperson confirmed that there was no deadline for candidates to present their candidacies.
  • He reminded journalists that the election would be held on 5 June.