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

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS PEACEKEEPING BUDGET, ENDORSES NEW U.N. REFORMS

• Yesterday evening, the General Assembly adopted 25 resolutions and 1 decision from its Fifth Committee. It agreed to management and peace and security architecture reforms aimed at streamlining the Organization’s operations.
• It also authorized the allocation of $6.69 billion to finance UN peacekeeping missions from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.
• The Assembly also established a single rate of reimbursement to troop- and police-contributing countries.
• President Lajčák told the Assembly that it had helped to strengthen multilateralism by equipping the United Nations with the necessary tools to better deliver its work.

PRESIDENT TO MEET WITH SECURITY COUNCIL HEAD & “YOUNG U.N.” GROUP

• President Lajčák will meet this afternoon with Ambassador Olof Skoog, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of July.
• This is the regular monthly meeting that is held between the Presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council.
• The President will also meet with “Young UN”, a network of hundreds of young professionals working across the UN system. Their aim is to bring innovative new ideas into the UN.

GLOBAL COMPACT FOR MIGRATION: LAST ROUND OF TALKS STARTS ON MONDAY

• Member States are reaching the end of their negotiations on the first ever Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The sixth and final round of talks will start this Monday and last all next week.
• The final text is expected to be finalized on Friday 13 July.
• The latest revised draft is available online.