PRESS BRIEFING BY MONICA GRAYLEY, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT MARÍA FERNANDA ESPINOSA

Good afternoon, everyone!

Happy UN Day!

PGA STRESSES NEED FOR MORE GENDER EQUALITY IN BUSINESS

This morning in Geneva, President María Fernanda Espinosa spoke about “investments in a new era of industrialization”. She held the speech at the UNCTAD Global Leaders Investment Summit, which is being attended by Heads of State and Government and thousands of international investors. Ms. Espinosa highlighted the importance of partnering with the private sector and of investing in small and medium-sized businesses, which concentrate up to 70% of employment sources around the world.

The PGA stressed that investments are crucial to advance economies, especially in developing countries, and that more efforts need to be made to correct imbalances in gender equality. María Fernanda Espinosa mentioned that on average, women workers are paid 23% less than their male counterparts, and that amongst the world’s 500 largest companies, only 5% of CEOs are women. For the President of the General Assembly it´s possible to correct this point with the help of Governments, the private sector and societies as a whole.

PRESIDENT ESPINOSA CELEBRATES UN DAY AT CONCERT

In a video message today, Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa is marking UN Day by expressing her deep gratitude to all those who serve the United Nations and its agencies throughout the world.

She thanked all UN colleagues for serving the cause of humanity and peace.

Ms. Espinosa also remembered the “wisdom and foresight of those who laid the foundations for the United Nations from the ashes of the Second World War.”

For her, their vision inspired the United Nations Charter, with its commitment to uphold human rights and preserve peace and security, and it continues to guide and inspire all of us, every day. She said, and I quote: “On this day let us honour them with a solemn commitment to help bring the United Nations even closer to the people we have the privilege to serve.”

Ms. Espinosa also issued a tweet saying that for 73 years, #WeThePeoples have come together at the General Assembly, the Parliament of Humanity, to defend dignity and human rights. Ms. Espinosa says that the UN must continue to respond to the world’s most pressing challenges and make decisions that truly reflect and represent the needs of all citizens.

In a few hours, the President will attend a concert in Geneva to celebrate UN Day with staff and guests at the Palais des Nations and will deliver a speech on the importance of multilateralism.

PGA’s AGENDA

Ms. Espinosa had a bilateral meeting with the Ambassador of Ecuador to the UN in Geneva, H.E. Luis Gallegos. She also spoke to the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder.

As you will recall one of the Seven Priorities of her presidency is decent work, and the PGA is planning a joint event for next year with ILO.

This is all for today. Over to you…