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

ASSEMBLY TO MEET THIS WEEK ON VACCINES DECLARATION

  • The President received a request from 19 delegations, asking him to hold an informal meeting of the General Assembly to announce the launch of “The Political Declaration on Equitable Global Access to COVID-19 Vaccines”.
  • Those delegations were Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, the European Union, Fiji, Germany, India, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
  • The President will therefore convene this informal meeting on vaccines this Friday, 26 March, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in the General Assembly Hall. It will be open and webcast.
  • The text of “The Political Declaration on Equitable Global Access to COVID-19 Vaccines” is currently supported by more than 160 delegations.
  • Asked for details about the declaration, the Spokesperson advised the reporter to consult the text itself, which was available on the President’s web site.

 

PRESIDENT DISCUSSES DEVELOPMENT REFORM WITH DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL

  • The President is meeting right now in person with the Deputy Secretary-General.
  • They are discussing UN development system reform and a report on the “reinvigorated Resident Coordinator system”.

 

PRESIDENT MARKS INTERNATIONAL DAYS ON TUBERCULOSIS & HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

  • Today is World Tuberculosis Day. The President said this morning that tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers, killing nearly 4,000 people every day.
  • He said, “On World TB Day, I call on the international community to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.”
  • Today is also the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims.
  • In marking the day, the President said, “We recognize the courage of human rights defenders everywhere and promote the importance of the right to truth and justice.”
  • Asked if the President had a list of journalists who had been killed in the line of duty, the Spokesperson said that, while the topic was an important one, it was not for the President to compile such a list. He referred the journalist to UNESCO.

 

ASSEMBLY TO HONOUR VICTIMS OF TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE TOMORROW

  • Tomorrow the General Assembly will hold its annual commemorative meeting to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
  • Expected speakers include the President, the Secretary-General, and representatives of the Host Country and regional groups.
  • The keynote speaker will be Dr. Lisa M. Coleman, New York University’s Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Vice President for Global Inclusion and Strategic Innovation.

 

NEW RESOLUTION ON MEDIA LITERACY TO BE CONSIDERED

  • Tomorrow the General Assembly will also take action on a new draft resolution submitted by Jamaica.
  • If adopted, the Assembly would proclaim 24 to 31 October of each year to be the Global Media and Information Literacy Week.