NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS BY PAULINA KUBIAK GREER,
SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT ABDULLA SHAHID
United Nations Headquarters, New York
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN POLITICS
The President of the General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, today convenes an event on Violence against Women in Politics.
The event will be held at 1:15PM Eastern, on the sidelines of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Violence against women in politics is gender-based violence that manifests physically, psychologically and sexually, both in-person and online.
The most visible targets of such violence are women Parliamentarians, as well as human rights defenders, electoral staff, and friends and families of women candidates and public servants.
President Shahid will say that “as a former Parliamentarian, and a lifelong politician, violence against women in politics is an issue near to his heart.” He calls such violence “a moral and ethical failure on us as a society.”
Today’s event will include Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed; the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Sami Bahous; and Reem Alsalem, the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women.
The ministerial roundtable will be moderated by Ambassador Besiana Kadare, Permanent Representative of Albania to UNESCO.
Ministers and high-level officials from at least 20 Member States are expected to take part in the discussion. Civil society representatives will also attend.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
In the General Assembly Hall today, it’s been a busy morning.
Member States adopted by consensus a resolution on widows. Among its points, the resolution calls for ways to stop discrimination, violence, marginalization, stigmatization and exclusion against widows.
A new International Year was created. The year 2026 will be known as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
Member States adopted a resolution creating a new International Day. Going forward, 15 March will be known as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. Among its points, the resolution strongly deplores all acts of violence against persons on the basis of their religion or belief and such acts directed against their places of worship.
Member States also took action to support bike riders. The resolution under the item “Harmony with Nature” urges Governments to integrate bicycles into public transportation in urban and rural areas.
Member States had been scheduled today to resume the debate on item 67 on Ukraine. This is not the Emergency Special Session. This was the debate on Ukraine that had been halted on 23 February. This morning, all Member States still inscribed to speak withdrew their names from the speakers’ list. The agenda item will remain open.
QUESTIONS
The Spokesperson was asked about the purported humanitarian draft resolutions sponsored by France and Mexico – when will it be put to a vote, who is sponsoring. The Spokesperson said that she does not have any additional details. She clarified that a resolution draft has to be submitted in all six official languages at least the night before, and that has not yet been done.
The Spokesperson was asked if the draft resolution has to be submitted under the Emergency Special Session or if it can submitted under the regular session. The Spokesperson confirmed that the resolution can be submitted under the regular session, so long as it is translated and made public in advance. So far, there has not been a request to reopen the Emergency Special Session.
The Spokesperson was asked if the President of the General Assembly has a reaction to the adoption of the resolution on Islamophobia. The Spokesperson said that the President presided over the General Assembly session and supports the will of the Member States, who draft such resolutions. This particular one was adopted by consensus.
