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

United Nations Headquarters, New York

23 March 2021

PRESIDENT CALLS FOR MORE WOMEN TO BE ELECTED & END TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN POLITICS

  • Right now the President is convening a virtual Special Event under the theme, “Political Leadership and Violence Against Women and Girls: Prevention First.”
  • The Special Event was organized following advice from the President’s Gender Advisory Group and feedback from Member States on enhancing the relationship between the General Assembly and the Commission on the Status of Women.
  • The aim is to bring together experts and stakeholders to highlight the urgency of preventing violence against women and girls and promoting women’s participation and leadership in all spheres.
  • In his opening remarks, the President said that, if we are to protect and uphold the rights of the people we serve, those who govern should reflect those who are governed. In short: we need to elect more women.
  • He added that we need to remove barriers to participation and end violence against women in politics. That was crucial to ensuring that more women entered – and remained active – in politics.
  • Other speakers and panelists today include the Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, who also serves as President of the UN Women Executive Board; the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences; the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict; and the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

 

PRESIDENT STANDS WITH ROHINGYA SURVIVORS FOLLOWING REFUGEE CAMP FIRE

  • The President said this morning that he was stunned by reports of a devastating fire that killed 15 refugees in a camp in Cox’s Bazar.
  • He added that, with hundreds more injured and missing, he stands with the Rohingya survivors and the officials from Bangladesh, the UN Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration and partner agencies who are rushing to help.

 

PRESIDENT’S STRONG POSITION ON GENDER EQUALITY, WOMEN’S RIGHTS & VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, IS WELL KNOWN

  • In response to questions that journalists had been asking about Turkey and the Istanbul Convention, the Spokesperson said the following:
  • The President’s strong position on gender equality, women’s rights and violence against women, is well known. This will continue to be a central priority for him throughout the 75th session      
  • The President represents the UN membership as a whole, and in that capacity, he does not comment on the national legal arrangements of UN Member States.
  • The President believes that, at the national level, strong legal frameworks for the prevention of violence against women – and effective implementation by governments – are key.