PRESS BRIEFING BY BRENDEN VARMA, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT VOLKAN BOZKIR

United Nations Headquarters, New York

2 October 2020

 

NO ALTERNATIVE TO ELIMINATING NUCLEAR WEAPONS, PRESIDENT SAYS

  • The President this morning opened the high-level meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
  • In his remarks, he said, “Nuclear weapons continue to pose a grave threat to international peace and security. The only sure way to eliminate this threat is to eliminate the weapons themselves. There is no alternative.”
  • He added that it was “unfortunate that the architecture developed over decades to support the goals of disarmament and enhance security is under significant strain with rising global tensions.”

 

MEETING TO PAY TRIBUTE TO LATE AMIR OF KUWAIT TO BE HELD ON 13 OCTOBER

  • On Kuwait, the plenary meeting to pay tribute to the memory of the late Amir, [His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah], will be held on 13 October, at 10 a.m., in the General Assembly Hall.
  • This formal meeting will be in person – and feature statements by the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General, the chairs of the five regional groups, the host country and the country concerned – in this case, Kuwait.

 

COVID-19 HAS SET BACK MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES’ GAINS

  • The President sent a video message today to the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Like-Minded Group of Countries, Supporters of Middle-Income Countries.
  • He said that Middle-Income Countries had made remarkable progress towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. But COVID-19 was setting back these gains.

  

BEIJING+25: MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES PLEDGE ACTION TO ADVANCE GENDER EQUALITY

  • The UN high-level meeting on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women – or “Beijing+25” – wrapped up yesterday at 7:00 p.m.
  • More than 100 countries committed to concrete actions that will advance gender equality for women and girls everywhere.
  • There were 119 videos played in the General Assembly Hall – from Member States, observer States and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
  • There are 54 videos that did not get played. Those will be posted shortly on UN Web TV.
  • In his closing remarks, the President said that no country can claim to have achieved gender parity. He added that the UN stands with the women of the world. 

 

SPEEDY RECOVERY WISHED TO U.S. PRESIDENT & FIRST LADY FOLLOWING COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS

  • This morning the President said he was sorry to see the reports of the President and First Lady of the United States testing positive for COVID-19. He wished them a speedy recovery.