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

United Nations Headquarters, New York

4 June 2021

 

FIRST EVER SPECIAL SESSION AGAINST CORRUPTION WRAPS UP TODAY

  • Today is the last day of the General’s Assembly’s first ever special session against corruption.
  • The special session’s General Debate heard video messages from, among others, 8 Heads of State, 2 Heads of Government and 3 Deputy Prime Ministers.
  • There were also statements from 21 delegations at the level of Minister – including Albania and Germany, whose Ministers delivered statements in person. A Minister from Honduras also participated in person – to introduce their President’s video.
  • Video statements were also expected from 6 civil society representatives.
  • Asked about the President’s expectations for follow-up, the Spokesperson highlighted the adoption by consensus of an action-oriented political declaration on the special session’s first day. He also noted that the President’s role was to convene Member States and create a forum, and that is what the President had done in this case. The special session had been held, ideas had been exchanged, key topics had been discussed, and lessons learned and best practices had been shared. The President had done what he could do, and now the UN’s more operational bodies, such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, would engage in follow-up work and take the matter forward.

 

PRESIDENT MARKS WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

  • Tomorrow is World Environment Day.
  • In a video message to an event organized by the UN Environment Programme, the President said, “With the Decade of Action and Delivery on the SDGs already underway, and with major global events on climate, biodiversity, land degradation and oceans, all on the horizon, we have a once in a generation opportunity to change the narrative on the environment and to pivot our world towards one that is more sustainable, more resilient, and more equitable.”
  • Noting that trillions of dollars are currently pouring into pandemic recovery, he said, “This is our opportunity to do things differently, to build resilience and nature-based solutions into our every action.”

 

3 ELECTIONS TO BE HELD NEXT WEEK

  • Next week, there will be a number of elections taking place.
  • The election of the next President of the General Assembly will take place on Monday 7 June at 10 a.m. There are two candidates – from Afghanistan and Maldives.
  • Following the election, the President-elect is expected to speak to the press at a media stakeout just outside the General Assembly Hall entrance on the second floor. We expect that press encounter to happen at around 12:00 p.m. on Monday.
  • Also at Monday’s meeting, the Assembly will draw lots for seating during the 76th session. A country name will be drawn at random to sit in the first seat in the Hall. All other Member States will then follow in English alphabetical order.
  • Also on Monday, at 3 p.m., the Assembly will elect members of the Economic and Social Council.
  • And then on Friday 11 June – one week from today – at 10 a.m., we will have the election of the non-permanent members of the Security Council.
  • The elections will all take place in the General Assembly Hall, in person, using ballot papers and ballot boxes.

 

NO DECISION YET ON FORMAT OF SEPTEMBER’S HIGH-LEVEL PERIOD

  • Asked whether this September’s high-level period would be held in person or in another format, the Spokesperson said no decision had been taken on that yet. For the President’s part, he had been convening pandemic-related business continuity meetings; the next one would be on 16 June. The goal of such meetings was for Member States, the Secretariat and the host country to discuss topics such as September’s high-level period and how it could be held in light of COVID-19 mitigation measures.
  • Noting that the next President of the General Assembly would also be involved in such discussions, the Spokesperson advised the reporter to also direct this question to the new President-elect at the media stakeout on Monday.

 

SPOKESPERSON FIELDS QUESTIONS ON LOSS OF VOTING RIGHTS BY MEMBER STATES IN ARREARS

  • The Spokesperson was asked whether Iran had lost its voting rights in the General Assembly, and if so, when that had taken place. The Spokesperson replied that, as of now, neither Iran nor the Central African Republic had voting rights in the General Assembly. He added that the President, during a plenary meeting on 15 January, had taken note of a letter dated 13 January 2021 from the Secretary-General addressed to him, in which the Secretary-General informed the Assembly that 10 Member States were in arrears in the payment of their financial contributions to the United Nations, within the terms of Article 19 of the Charter.
  • In that context, the Spokesperson reminded journalists that Article 19 said the following: “A Member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years. The General Assembly may, nevertheless, permit such a Member to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the Member.”
  • Pressed on the exact date that Iran lost its right to vote, the Spokesperson said that, once the Secretariat informed the Assembly that a Member State had fallen into arrears under Article 19, then the loss of voting rights happened automatically. In that regard, the Spokesperson repeated that the Assembly had taken note of the Secretary-General’s letter on 15 January.
  • Asked about the procedure for a Member State in arrears to maintain its voting rights, despite being in arrears, the Spokesperson said Member States could write to the President to request exemptions. The President would then forward such requests to the Committee on Contributions, which was an expert Committee and a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly. Following a recommendation from the Committee on Contributions, there could then be a resolution from the General Assembly.
  • Asked whether Iran and the Central African Republic would not be permitted to vote in next week’s elections – including for the next President of the General Assembly and non-permanent members of the Security Council – the Spokesperson confirmed that, under the current circumstances, they would not be able to vote.

 

OTHER ITEMS

Secretary-General selection and appointment process: Asked when the General Assembly would meet to consider the Security Council’s recommendation for the position of Secretary-General, the Spokesperson said he did not have an exact date to share. Noting that, as per the Security Council’s programme of work, the Council would consider this matter on 8 June, he said, “If we hear from the Security Council after 8 June… then we intend to take action expeditiously – this month.”

Myanmar: Asked when the General Assembly planned to vote on a resolution on Myanmar, the Spokesperson said he understood that this matter was still with the relevant group of Member States. He said he had no dates to announce.