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

United Nations Headquarters, New York

21 November 2017

 

PRESIDENT WELCOMES HISTORIC INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT

  • The President of the General Assembly welcomes the historic inter-Korean Summit held today in Panmunjeom, as well as the “Panmunjeom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula”, as a significant breakthrough in the efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula.
  • The President congratulates the leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea for their courage and commitment in engaging in an open dialogue and resolving their differences by political means. The President has been highlighting the importance of communication and diplomacy in the various meetings he has held with both sides throughout the 72nd session of the General Assembly.
  • He recalls the spirit of collaboration that he saw at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics, as demonstrated by the unified Korean team, and sees today’s Summit as the continuation of a positive trend.
  • The President encourages the two leaders to use this opportunity to make progress towards verifiable denuclearization and ultimately lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, by implementing the measures agreed upon to advance inter-Korean relations and alleviate military tension.
  • The President believes that it is in the interests of all Member States to work towards achieving peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and commends efforts of the international community in this regard.
  • In related news, the President will receive a briefing on the summit this afternoon from the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations.
  • Asked whether the President would be traveling to the Korean Peninsula, the Spokesperson noted that the President had already travelled there this year in connection with the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics. No additional trips to the Korean Peninsula were planned.

 

GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S WORK EVOLVING & GROWING

  • This morning the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly is holding a thematic debate on strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly.
  • In his remarks, the President noted that, over the years, the nature of the General Assembly’s work has changed, grown and evolved. So, too, have the demands on its President and his office.
  • Sharing his own experiences as President, he stressed the importance of making the General Assembly – as the United Nations’ most representative body – as strong as it can be.

 

PLANS DISCUSSED FOR FIRST EVER HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON TUBERCULOSIS

  • Moments ago, the President met with Nick Herbert, the Chair of the Global TB Caucus. Mr. Herbert briefed the President on the outcomes of the parliamentary hearing on tuberculosis, which the President addressed
  • They also discussed plans for the first ever High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis, which will be held in September.

 

UNIVERSITIES CAN EMPOWER STUDENTS TO LEAD ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

  • Today the President met with students from Lehigh University. They are researching how the United Nations can best engage with the private sector to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. They presented their preliminary findings to the President today.
  • The President believes that universities and colleges have the potential to lead the way forward on sustainable development by empowering students to play a transformative role in society.
  • Asked why this meeting had been closed to the media, the Spokesperson explained that this had been an unofficial interaction as opposed to a public forum. The students involved had simply wanted to present their ideas to the President for his consideration.

 

U.N. NEEDS ADEQUATE FUNDING FROM MEMBER STATES

  • The Spokesperson was asked whether there was concern at the United Nations about a possible drop in funding from the United States, and how important funding from the United States was to the United Nations.
  • The Spokesperson responded that the United Nations relied on funding from its Member States, including the United States, in order to fulfil its mandates. It was important for the United Nations to receive adequate funding for its work from the Member States.

 

DIALOGUES WITH CANDIDATES FOR NEXT ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT TO TAKE PLACE ON 4 MAY

  • The Spokesperson was asked about reports that there may be some sort of compromise between the candidates for President of the 73rd session of the General Assembly, and whether the President had been in touch with the candidates. The Spokesperson responded that the President had met with both candidates as part of normal meetings to discuss the election process.
  • He added that the informal interactive dialogues with the candidates were still scheduled for 4 May, in accordance with the process that was mandated by Member States.
  • Asked whether the next President would continue the current President’s policies on transparency, the Spokesperson said he could not speculate on that. He directed the journalist to the candidates’ vision statements, which were posted online.