Making the United Nations Relevant to all PeoplePRESS BRIEFING BY MONICA GRAYLEY, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT MARÍA FERNANDA ESPINOSA
Good afternoon, everyone!
PGA JOINS INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR MORE AMBITIOUS CLIMATE TARGETS
The President of the General Assembly is joining other UN officials and international leaders in an open letter calling to set more ambitious climate targets in a collective effort to limit global temperature rise to 1.5ºC.
Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa signed the initiative, which is being released today by the UN Global Compact, the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and the We Mean Business coalition.
The call takes place ahead of the Climate Action Summit, which is scheduled for 23 September, in New York.
In the document, international representatives and business leaders issue a Call to Action for private companies to make a crucial contribution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb the grave impacts of climate change.
The last report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) outlined the need to keep the global temperature rise to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels.
More than 20 leaders signed the letter including the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Patricia Espinosa, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake, and SDG Advocate, Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever.
The UN Special Envoy for the 2019 Climate Action Summit, Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba said that the world needs a realistic plan by 2020 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% over the next decade.
More information on our website: www.un.org/pga/73
MS. ESPINOSA TO SPEAK AT THE CLOSING OF SESSION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
This afternoon, the PGA will speak at the closing of the 12th session of the Conference on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The meeting, this morning, included a round table discussion on inclusion of persons with disabilities in society through participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport.
Member States will take part this afternoon in the interactive dialogue on the implementation of the Convention with the UN System.
Ms. Espinosa says that the world “must use every opportunity to further disability-inclusive development, and to promote leadership by persons with disabilities – particularly women – in political and public life, as they are the best advocates, not only for persons with disabilities, but for the wider social and economic transformations we need to deliver the 2030 Agenda.”
The PGA believes that it is time to increase our ambition and accelerate our plans to achieve the full inclusion of persons with disabilities, for the benefit of the entire globe.
During a speech yesterday at the High-Level Meeting on Women with Disabilities in Political and Public Leadership, the PGA appealed for universal ratification of the Convention of the Rights with Persons with Disabilities.
She also mentioned that in February she wrote to those states that remain outside the treaty, encouraging them to ratify or accede it. (178 Member States are now party to the CRPD).
PGA’S AGENDA
The PGA started her day by meeting the special rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Ms. Catalina Devandas. She later had a separate bilateral meeting with the Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the UN. H.E, Mr. Sacha Llorenti Soliz.
The President also granted two interviews to NPR and NTN24. This afternoon, she will meet the Permanent Representatives of Qatar and New Zealand on Beijing + 25 and the Permanent Representatives of Ghana and Canada on Financing for Development. This afternoon, Ms. Espinosa will speak at the closing of the 12th session of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, CRPD.
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