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

United Nations Headquarters, New York

26 April 2021

 

PRESIDENT CALLS FOR PROTECTION FOR FORESTS

  • The President today virtually addressed the UN Forum on Forests.
  • He said healthy and sustainably managed forests regulate rainfall patterns and help mitigate the impacts of climate change.
  • They purify our air and water; supply us with food, medicine, and shelter; and are home to incredible biodiversity. They must be protected, he said.
  • In the coming months, major conferences to follow up on the three Rio Conventions – on desertification, climate change and biological diversity – will all be held during the same year for the first time.
  • He said these dialogues will allow us to speak directly to policymakers and to help mobilize action.
  • Asked if the Amazon had been discussed at today’s meeting, the Spokesperson noted that the President had not specifically referred to the Amazon in his speech. He urged the reporter to follow the proceedings of the meeting, to see if other speakers had raised that topic.

 

WORLD WON’T FORGET CHERNOBYL, PRESIDENT TO TELL ASSEMBLY’S COMMEMORATIVE MEETING

  • This afternoon the Assembly will hold a special commemorative meeting in observance of the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe.
  • The President is expected to say that this solemn anniversary reminds us that we must continue to build resilience and be prepared for unexpected challenges – to create a safer future for all.
  • He’ll say the world has not, and will not, forget the disaster at Chernobyl.

 

PRESIDENT MEETS WITH ASSEMBLY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FROM MALDIVES

  • This morning the President met with H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives, who is a candidate for President of the 76th session of the General Assembly.
  • The election is scheduled for 7 June, and in line with regional rotation, the next President will come from the Asia Pacific Group.
  • There are currently two candidates, who have been nominated by Afghanistan and Maldives.
  • Both are expected to present vision statements and take part in informal interactive dialogues with the membership on 6 May. Some questions have also already been collected from civil society online.
  • A dedicated web page for this election process is housed on our office’s web site. 

 

PRESIDENT MEETS WITH HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HEAD

  • The President met virtually this morning with Nazhat Shameem Khan, President of the Human Rights Council.
  • They discussed how their offices could best collaborate to advance human rights.

 

HIGH-LEVEL DIGITAL COOPERATION MEETING TO BE HELD TOMORROW

  • Tomorrow the President will convene a one-day High-level Thematic Debate on Digital Cooperation and Connectivity under the theme “Whole-Of-Society Approaches to End the Digital Divide”.
  • Member State representatives, UN officials, technology and telecommunications leaders, experts in digital governance and civil society participants, will come together in three panel discussions and a high-level plenary.
  • Speakers will include: Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who is the Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development; Microsoft’s Vice President for UN Affairs; the CEO of Intel; the Chairman of  PricewaterhouseCoopers Network; the Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union; and the Chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications.
  • More information can be found in a media advisory on the President’s web site.