Making the United Nations Relevant to all PeoplePRESS BRIEFING BY MONICA GRAYLEY, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT MARÍA FERNANDA ESPINOSA
Good afternoon All!
ZERO TOLERANCE FOR FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM)
On this International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the President of the General Assembly is calling for the acceleration of actions to eradicate this “unacceptable practice”. In a tweet, Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa said that female genital mutilation is “a human rights violation of women and girls”. The PGA said that she supports the work of UNFPA and UNICEF in order to strengthen the global action against the practice. According to UNFPA, over 200 million women and girls underwent female genital mutilation, and if action is not stepped up, another 68 million girls will have been cut by 2030. The PGA believes that we all have a role in ending FGM once for all.
INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION REVIEW FORUM
The GA President sent a letter to Member States to mark the first meeting of the intergovernmental consultations and negotiations to establish the modalities and organisational aspects of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF). The meeting will take place on 13 February at 3.30 pm in Conference Room 3. Ms. Espinosa has appointed two co-facilitators for this process, the Ambassador of Bangladesh, H.E. Masud Bin Momen, and the Permanent Representative of Spain, Agustín Santos Maraver. In a joint letter, both ambassadors said that consultations will articulate how the contributions of the regional review and other relevant processes will inform the Forums, as a means to strengthen effectiveness and consistency of the follow-up and review outlined in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Based on the ideas and comments, a zero draft will be framed. Negotiations are expected to conclude by the end of June.
PGA’s AGENDA AND OTHER ISSUES
Ms. Espinosa started her day with an interview for DPA, Deutsche Presse Agentur, later she spoke to Tass.
Ms. Espinosa will also meet the Ambassadors of the Czech Republic, H.E., Marie Chatardová, and the Permanent Representative of Timor-Leste, Maria Helena Lopes de Jesus Pires, who are the co-facilitators on the Alignment of the GA Agenda with the Agenda 2030.
The PGA will receive in her office this afternoon a Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities.
More details on our website un.org/pga/73 and on our YouTube channel @unitednationsga73. The Twitter account is @UN_PGA. This is all from us.
Now I am happy to take your questions.
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