PRESS BRIEFING BY REEM ABAZA, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT TIJJANI MUHAMMAD-BANDE
UN Charter
This morning, the President of the United Nations General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande convened a virtual commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations.
In his remarks, the President said that this event takes place as many people suffer and bear great losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “However, we draw strength from those who have persevered in the past, in the face of great despair. This includes the pen-holders of the UN Charter, who dared to imagine a better world defined by peace and equality.”
The President added that Member States at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, adopted General Assembly resolutions which called for solidarity and global access to medicines and medical equipment. He pointed out that currently, there is an omnibus resolution under negotiation to address all aspects of the response to the pandemic.
The President said that “the Membership has taken historic steps to enable the UN to operate during this period by adopting decisions under silence procedure.”
He added that “this has ensured business continuity as we herald the beginning of the Decade of Action and Delivery to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals…..Three-quarters of a century ago, sceptics doubted the resolve of the members of the United Nations. Cynicism did not prevail then, nor will it now.”
I invite you to visit the event’s page on the PGA’s website to read and watch video and written messages from Member States on the occasion.
The silence procedure for the final draft Declaration for the Commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations has been extended until 6 pm today, following requests for additional time to enable Member States to undertake consultations.
Public Service
In a statement on the United Nations Public Service Day this week, the President of the General Assembly said that COVID-19 is a pandemic unlike any other known to the contemporary world. At no time in recent memory has the human race been gripped with the fear of a public health catastrophe with such wide ramifications. The rate and speed of person-to-person transmissions of the dreaded Coronavirus caught many governments unawares and quite a few unprepared. The PGA added: “If we learnt any lesson from COVID-19, it is that, in a period of emergency, the proactive and morale-boosting role of the public service remains critical.”
Poverty Eradication
The President will convene a high-level meeting on poverty eradication on Tuesday 30 June from 10 am till 1 pm.
During the opening segment, the President of the General Assembly will launch the Alliance for Poverty Eradication that aims to unite Stakeholders with Member States in their efforts to address poverty by adopting a holistic response.
The aims of the High-Level Meeting include, providing a forum to reflect on the role of the Alliance, deliberating on measures needed to address widespread poverty and its consequences, particularly, the consequences that are aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and comparing notes and ideas on cross-national good practices in poverty eradication.
The program and concept note are on our website.
