NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS BY PAULINA KUBIAK GREER,
SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT ABDULLA SHAHID
United Nations Headquarters, New York

UKRAINE

The General Assembly plenary meeting on the situation in the occupied territories of Ukraine is underway.

The meeting was opened by the President of the General Assembly Abdulla Shahid.

He reminded the global community that the impetus for the creation of the United Nations are inscribed in the first words of the United Nations Charter – “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”

He urged the parties to intensify their negotiations and deescalate the current trajectory through dialogue: Quote “Lasting peace is not achieved nor sustained by military engagements, but through political solutions,” the President said.

The Secretary-General spoke following the President, as you heard from Stephane.

The first national speaker was the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba.

Followed by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, in his role as Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations.

Tobias Lindner, Germany’s Minister of State then took the podium.

The rest of the speakers were at the level of Ambassador.

The debate will continue in the 3pm session. There are 86 speakers on the list, which you can check at https://espeakers.unmeetings.org/620fb8a709eff10011ad4d1218022022

You have the President’s speech in your inbox.

 

BILATERALS

Ahead of the plenary, President Shahid met with Foreign Minister Kuleba.

The President was briefed on the ongoing situation and was told that it is more crucial now than ever before to act decisively to prevent war.

This afternoon, the President will meet with Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon.

 

SANDRA LINDSAY

Turning to vaccines and our own New York… This afternoon, President Shahid will meet with Dr. Sandra Lindsay, the first person in the United States to receive a COVID vaccine, outside of the clinical trials.

Dr. Lindsay is a medical professional at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. She is also an advocate for vaccinations and vaccine equity.

Dr. Lindsay is here in the context of Friday’s high-level event on vaccine equity in the General Assembly Hall.

This is also an opportunity for the President to say a symbolic thank you to all the front-line workers in New York.

Our friends at UNifeed will try to put out a video package on the visit, either today or tomorrow. And there will be a press release.

And looking ahead to Friday’s high-level event on vaccine equity, I hope to put out the President’s remarks and a press release out under embargo tomorrow afternoon.

 

QUESTIONS

There were no questions for the Spokesperson.