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

United Nations Headquarters, New York

7 June 2018

 

GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO HOLD SECURITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS TOMORROW

  • Tomorrow morning the General Assembly will meet to elect five-non-permanent members of the Security Council.
  • Six Member States are running for the five available seats. Those six are Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia, the Maldives and South Africa.
  • Indonesia and the Maldives are contesting the Asia-Pacific Group seat, while the other four candidates will run unopposed.
  • A media stakeout will be set up outside the entrance to the General Assembly Hall for delegations wishing to speak to the press.

 

SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM TALKS CONTINUING TODAY

  • Also related to Security Council, the intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform are continuing today.
  • Yesterday, Member States discussed the relationship between the Council and the General Assembly – as well as the size of an enlarged Council and the Council’s working methods.
  • Today the talks are focusing on how best to advance the IGN process and move forward.

 

PRESIDENT TO RING CLOSING BELL AT NASDAQ MARKETSITE

  • The President will be ringing the closing bell at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square tomorrow afternoon.
  • While there, he will highlight his high-level event on financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will be held this Monday at United Nations Headquarters.
  • That event will aim to address the challenges and bottlenecks that block private investment towards SDG sectors. It will also examine the role of the UN in strengthening public-private partnerships.