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

United Nations Headquarters, New York

12 June 2018

Asked to react to the summit held between the leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States, the Spokesperson said the President considers today’s summit to be a positive first step in the right direction.
He added that the President hopes to see further steps towards lasting peace and stability and verifiable denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

The President is meeting now with the Secretary General of the Arab League. The expected topic of discussion is the work of the Arab League, including with respect to the Middle East.
Also in relation to the Middle East, the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly will be resumed at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow.
The President is convening the meeting following a formal request from the Permanent Representatives of Algeria and Turkey, in their respective capacities as Chair of the Arab Group and Chair of the Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Asked for details about tomorrow’s meeting, the Spokesperson said it would start with statements from Member States and then there would be action on a draft resolution at the end of the meeting. In response to a further question, he noted that the last time the tenth emergency special session had been resumed was last December.
Asked whether the draft resolution was similar to the one that had recently been considered by the Security Council, the Spokesperson said that, although the draft had been submitted to the Secretariat, it had not yet been issued as an official “L” document. As such, the Spokesperson was not in a position to elaborate on its contents.

This morning the General Assembly is holding its annual plenary debate on HIV/AIDS.
In his remarks, the President said, “HIV is still a huge challenge. Yes, there have been success stories… But… we cannot afford to slow down.”
He noted, “It is not the case that everyone has the same chance of contracting HIV. It is not the case that everyone has the same chance of surviving it. And this is not the way things should be. We cannot continue to leave people behind.”
He concluded by saying, “Let’s keep fighting this virus – and the stigma that comes with it. Let’s speak up louder – in memory of those who have died, and in support of those who are living with HIV and AIDS today.”
In response to a question, the Spokesperson later confirmed that no formal outcome was expected from today’s meeting on HIV/AIDS.

The President just met with Louise Arbour, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for International Migration.
He also met yesterday with the Permanent Representatives of Mexico and Switzerland, who serve as the co-facilitators for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
The aim of both meetings was to discuss the process as it moves into its final stage.
The final round of migration negotiations is scheduled to take place during the week of 9 July. A revised draft of the Global Compact is expected to be circulated the week before that.

The General Assembly plenary will meet this afternoon under the agenda item “Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development.”
GUAM is a grouping that brings together Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova.
The plenary will consider a draft resolution entitled “Status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and the Tskhinvali region/ South Ossetia, Georgia”.