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

United Nations Headquarters, New York

25 May 2018

 

PRESIDENT MEETS WITH OFFICIALS FROM ROMANIA & F.Y.R. MACEDONIA

  • The President met this morning with the Foreign Policy Adviser to the President of Romania, who is at the United Nations to attend a session of the International Law Commission.
  • They discussed the priorities of the 72nd session of the General Assembly, underlining the primacy of international law. They also spoke about regional developments.
  • In addition, a 12:30 p.m. meeting with the Foreign Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was added to the President’s schedule this morning.

 

WE NEED AFRICA MORE THAN EVER

  • This evening the President will address an event to celebrate Africa Day.
  • He is expected to say that the continent is on the rise, so we need to listen and learn from it – and that we need Africa more than ever.

 

CONSULTATIONS HELD ON MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES MEETING

  • Earlier this year, the General Assembly decided to convene a high-level meeting during its next session, to discuss the challenges faced by middle-income countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  • Today the Assembly is holding informal consultations to prepare for that meeting.

 

PRESIDENT’S YOUTH DIALOGUE TO KICK OFF NEXT WEEK

  • The President’s Youth Dialogue will take place on Wednesday 30 May.
  • This will be one of the President’s big events for the year.
  • He feels that, with more young people on the planet than ever before, they need to be included in global conversations about issues that affect us all.
  • The Youth Dialogue will focus on three key areas: education, employment and prevention of radicalization.
  • The opening segment in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber will feature speakers and performers including Pita Taufatofua, the athlete from Tonga who made a splash at the opening ceremonies in both the Winter and Summer Olympics, and singer-songwriter and X Factor alum Emmanuel Kelly, who was found as a baby in a box in a park in Iraq and is now a social media star who has performed with Coldplay.
  • There will also be two chats and an open mic session, in which young people can take the stage to voice their concerns.
  • Meanwhile, there will also be a Youth Media Zone that day in the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) Room.

 

ARAB AMBASSADORS TO BRIEF PRESIDENT ON REGIONAL SITUATION

  • Asked why the President was meeting with a group of Arab ambassadors this afternoon, the Spokesperson said that this meeting had been requested by the ambassadors.
  • They wished to brief the President on the current situation in their region