PRESS BRIEFING BY REEM ABAZA, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT TIJJANI MUHAMMAD-BANDE
Technological Change
The President of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande convened on Thursday a virtual High-level Thematic Debate on The Impact of Rapid Technological Change on the Sustainable Development Goals and Targets.
In his remarks the President told participants: “Today, you may be talking about a spotty internet connection; or how you have eventually mastered the way to hold virtual meetings. But we should not forget that this remains a privilege…close to half of the people living in developing countries are not connected.”
He added “Technologies are vulnerable to bias and abuse. An important question remains: whom does technology serve? This needs to be studied and understood with appropriate actions taken on behalf of all.”
The PGA said that Many algorithms that already define our lives reflect the biases of their developers. Tangible action is needed to create a more diverse work environment in the tech sector, that embraces people from different backgrounds.
The PGA stressed on the need to ensure that we harness the promise of emerging technologies towards accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Interactive Dialogue
During an interactive dialogue on Thursday with (His Royal Highness) H.R.H. The Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister of Canada, the PGA said that the COVID-19 pandemic fallouts have revealed fault lines in our global systems. He added that even before the current crisis, many countries were not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Climate change and financing constraints have obstructed their progress.
The President said: “In order to achieve the SDGs by 2030 we need to reimagine our economic systems so that they work for everyone.” This will require leadership, political will and collaborative efforts among a wide variety of actors to safeguard the future for generations to come.
Multilateralism in a Fragmented World
The President of the General Assembly participated, this week, at an event on “The UN Charter at 75: Multilateralism in a Fragmented World.” Organized by the Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations and The Elders.
The President said that “the General Assembly is based upon equality: equality of voice and vote. We will not have a General Assembly that excludes. Indeed, the fabric of multilateralism is greatly enhanced by the rich diversity of small states.”
He added that “there are many lessons to be learned from the ongoing pandemic. After we defeat COVID-19, we will be in a position to assess the overall performance of the United Nations to prevent future shocks and make sure that our Organization continues to focus on the people, especially those furthest behind. As we build back better, we need to reshape what the ‘new normal’ looks like.”
Town Hall Meeting on HL Week
Today at 3 PM, the President of the General Assembly will hold a virtual town hall meeting for Member States to discuss a paper sent by his office outlining elements for consideration for the high-level week of the 75th session of the General Assembly.
In a letter to Member States, the President said that he indicated that the limitations on international travel and convening of large in-person meetings as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, may, in varying degrees, still be in effect in September.
This is based on the President’s exchanges and consultations with the UN Secretary-General, Local Authorities, the Host Government, the UN Medical Director, and Member States.
I shared the paper with you the night it was sent out, but some key points are:
- The General Debate would take place as scheduled from 22 to 29 September 2020
- The opening would take place in the General Assembly Hall with the President of the 75th Session and the Secretary-General of the United Nations being present in the Hall delivering statements.
- Heads of State and Government or Ministers representing Member States would address the General Debate via pre-recorded video statements, that will be shown on the screens in the hall.
Global Compact
On Monday, the PGA will be participating in the UN Global Compact Leader’s Summit. He is expected to say that despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19, it is clear that we will recover ….However, we can recover better by using this opportunity to build a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient future and businesses are key to achieving this.
Elections
All Member States have successfully registered the names of the representative, and an alternate, who will cast their ballot for the elections of non-permanent members of the Security Council, Members of the Social and Economic Council and the President of the 75th session of the General Assembly on the 17th of June.
The President appealed to Member States to participate in the elections and exercise their right to vote, including in multiple rounds, should that be required.
Please note that access to the General Assembly building will be restricted to the voters, tellers, and staff who will be supporting the process. This is to ensure everyone’s safety and to mitigate the spread of the disease.
The Department of Global Communications and the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management and our office are coordinating closely to ensure that you will get what you need for your coverage in terms of photos and video footage. The whole process will also be streamed live on UN Webcast.
