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

United Nations Headquarters, New York

5 July 2018

NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES ARE OUR BIGGEST GLOBAL THREAT, PRESIDENT WARNS

  • The President spoke this morning at an interactive hearing to prepare for the high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases, which will be held on 27 September.
  • He said that such diseases, which include cancer, heart disease, strokes and diabetes, have become our biggest health threat, accounting for two thirds of all global deaths.
  • He added that many of these diseases are preventable. So this is not a phenomenon we must accept.
 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN NEEDED AT U.N.

  • The President just addressed an event related to the International Gender Champions’ annual report.
  • The President said women’s empowerment and gender equality are a big part of United Nations’ work on the ground.
  • But we must begin at home – because without equal opportunities for women within the United Nations system, we cannot achieve our collective goals.
 

PRESIDENT MEETS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS IN BEIJING

  • The President visited China from 1 to 3 July.
  • He met with Chinese officials, including the Vice President, the Director of the Foreign Affairs Commission Office of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, the Foreign Minister, and the Deputy Chairman of the National Supervisory Commission.
  • The topics discussed included China’s role at the United Nations, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and conflict prevention and sustaining peace.
  • The President also met with the United Nations Country Team.
  • After landing back in New York late at night on Tuesday, the President came straight to Headquarters at around 1:00 in the morning, to meet with the Fifth Committee Chair and congratulate Fifth Committee delegates, who had just reached agreement on management reform.
 

BUDGET COMMITTEE TO WRAP UP SESSION TODAY

  • This afternoon at 3:00, the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, which handles administrative and budgetary matters, will formally take action on all outstanding issues, including United Nations peacekeeping budgets and the Secretary-General’s management reform and peace and security architecture reform proposals.
  • It will then close the second part of its resumed session.
  • Following that, the General Assembly plenary will meet to consider the report of the Fifth Committee.
 

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ELECTION TO BE HELD NEXT WEEK

  • On the Human Rights Council, the General Assembly plenary will hold a by-election to fill the current vacancy from the Western European and Other States Group.
  • The term would start on the date of the election and expire on 31 December 2019.
  • The by-election will take place on Friday 13 July, at 10:00 a.m. in Conference Room 2.
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