PRESS BRIEFING BY AMY QUANTRILL, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT VOLKAN BOZKIR

United Nations Headquarters, New York

16 June 2021

 

GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING ON AGENDA ITEM 127 “THE QUESTION OF EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION ON AND ICREASE IN THE MEBERSHIP OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL”

  • This morning at 10 AM the General Assembly met on Agenda item 127 “The question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council”. This item was first added to the agenda in 1979 and is one of the most important, complex and sensitive processes before the General Assembly.
  • The President said: “I was pleased by the high level of engagement by Member States during the five IGN meetings, demonstrating the significance of this process. While I understand that there are different views among Member States on the substance of IGN, it is only through dialogue that we can move this reform process forward.”

 

PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING WITH MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH

  • Yesterday the President met with H.E. A. K. Abdul Momen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
  • They discussed the situation in Myanmar. The President stressed that the international community must not forget about the plight of the Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar as they address the current political turmoil. Other topics of discussion included ensuring Vaccines for All as part of the global recovery from COVID-19 and the need to mobilise global action for the delivery of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
  • The meeting took place in the President’s office at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

 

UPCOMING HIGH-LEVEL EVENTS ON MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES (MICS) AND LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (LDCS)

  • The President will hold a High-level Meeting on Middle-Income Countries (MICs) on 17 June and 2 July 2021 under the theme “Finetuning the development system approach to address the needs of MICs”. The meeting will gather Heads of State and Government, as well as representatives of current and former MICs, multilateral banks, international financial institutions, the UN Development System and civil society organizations.  Participants will discuss the gaps and challenges of MICs in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, take stock of progress attained since the first High-level Meeting on Middle-Income Countries in 2018 and share national experiences, best practices and priority actions in support of MICs.
  • On Friday 18 June, the President will convene a joint thematic event, with the President of the Economic and Social Council, on Diversifying the Financing Toolbox to Enhance Investment in Least Developed Countries. This meeting will give participants the opportunity to assess the progress made in implementing the Istanbul Programme of Action and come together to provide substantive input to the Fifth UN Conference on LDCs which will be held in in Doha, Qatar from 23 to 27 January 2022.

 

CHANGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S SPOKESPERSON

  • The Director of Communications and Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Brenden Varma, has been recalled by the United Nations Department of Global Communications, in connection with another assignment and the President of the General Assembly has approved his departure from the Office of the President of the General Assembly. The President thanked Mr. Varma for his work and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.
  • The President’s Deputy Spokesperson, Ms. Amy Quantrill, will act as the Director of Communications and Spokesperson of the President until the end of the 75th session. Please contact Ms. Quantrill at amy.quantrill@un.org for any press enquiries related to the President of the General Assembly.