NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS

Spokesperson for General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi
United Nations Headquarters, New York

Thursday, 8 December 2022

 UNCLOS

The General Assembly is today marking the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

UNCLOS was adopted and opened for signature on 10 December 1982.

It’s been referred to as the constitution of the oceans.

In his opening remarks to today’s debate, President Csaba Kőrösi called the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea a “UN success story”.

He said this document can serve as an excellent example of what can be achieved when multilateralism is done right. What global governance can and should look like.

The President’s remarks were delivered in English, Arabic, French and Russian.

They are in your inbox and online: https://www.un.org/pga/77/2022/12/08/pga-remarks-to-the-commemoration-of-the-40th-anniversary-of-the-adoption-and-opening-for-signature-of-the-united-nations-convention-on-the-law-of-the-sea/

 

HUMANITARIAN POLICY FORUM

Turning to humanitarian issues… If we do not step up to address humanitarian needs, our world will end up in a perpetual and untreatable state of humanitarian emergency – the President warned today.

He said global needs will outpace global resources – leaving the humanitarian system ever more struggling to meet even a fraction of needs.

The root causes of humanitarian crises are still the same: inequality, systematic human rights violations, underdevelopment, weak governance, and, quite often, indolence to do good.

The choices, commitments, and actions taken by leaders today can reduce the vulnerability and the needs of tomorrow.

But that requires Member States to move away from ideologically driven decisions and to adopt data and science-based solutions.

The President spoke by pre-recorded message to the Global Humanitarian Policy Forum.

You have his full remarks: https://www.un.org/pga/77/2022/12/08/global-humanitarian-policy-forum/

 

BILATERALS

Later today, the President will meet with Ambassador Fergal Mythen, Permanent Representative of Ireland, and Ambassador Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar, who are the co-facilitators leading on the SDG Summit preparations.