Making the United Nations Relevant to all PeoplePRESS BRIEFING BY MONICA GRAYLEY, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT MARÍA FERNANDA ESPINOSA
AT HIGH-LEVEL EVENT, PGA STRESSES ROLE OF CULTURE IN ACCOMPLISHING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The President of the General Assembly spoke earlier today at the High-Level Event on Culture and Sustainable Development.
In her opening remarks, Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa highlighted the transformative power of culture as a key enabler for the implementation of the Agenda 2030, as well as its role in promoting social inclusion and development.
The PGA spoke about the contribution which youth and cultural industries make to foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Ms. Espinosa believes that is paramount to promote a youthful, participatory and enterprising cultural production to generate decent work through innovation.
Ms. Espinosa recalled that cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue are effective tools to tackle all forms of discrimination including racism and xenophobia.
The High-Level Event, which is being co-organised with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), focuses on culture as “an essential component of human development, representing a source of identity, innovation and creativity for all, it provides sustainable solutions to local and global challenges.”
The one-day thematic debate is taking place in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 72/229 on “Culture and Sustainable Development. The debate will also mark the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (21 May) and the International Year of Indigenous Languages (2019).
The event is being attended by State Ministers, representatives of UN agencies and regional organisations, civil society, youth and the creative community, among others.
Participants are discussing the role of cultural diversity as the common heritage of humanity, culture and education as foundations of sustainability and culture as a lever of innovation, empowerment and equality.
The High-Level Event on Culture and Sustainable Development highlights the connection between culture and biological diversity, in particular relation to local solutions to climate change and environmental challenges.
Later today, Ms. Espinosa will deliver closing remarks at the High-Level Event at the Trusteeship Council.
MS. ESPINOSA SPEAKS ABOUT AFRICA’S CONTRIBUTION TO STRENGTHEN MULTILATERALISM
Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa has delivered a speech at the Africa Dialogue Series commending the contribution African countries are making to strengthen multilateralism.
The PGA spoke at the opening of the high-level event, which is led by the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Union Development Agency (AUDA) and UN entities.
Ms. Espinosa said that she resolved to make Africa the focus of her activities at the outset of her GA Presidency. She believes that Africa’s contribution to the UN is under-appreciated and that the region’s voice remains under-represented in the international system.
The PGA stresses that Africa’s efforts strengthen multilateralism, and that African leadership “time and time again, has led the way be it through expanding the definition of ‘refugee’, in 1969, or through the Kampala Convention, the first legally-binding framework to address internal displacement, which was adopted in 2009.
The theme of the Africa Dialogue Series is aligned with the African Union theme: “Year of Refugees, Returnees and Internally, Displaced Persons: Towards durable solutions for forcibly displaced persons in Africa”.
The event is expected to conclude on 23 May.
PGA’S AGENDA
Following her participation in both high-level events, this morning, Ms. Espinosa met a group of students of the Cicely Tyson Community School of Performing Arts. She also received Mr. Ernesto Ottone, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO.
This afternoon, the PGA will hold a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, H.E., Pravind Jugnauth, before granting an interview to Deutsche Welle.
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