NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS
Spokesperson for General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi
United Nations Headquarters, New York
Thursday, 18 May 2023
RISK REDUCTION
The two-day High-level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction started this morning.
You heard from the President of the General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi.
He said that to better manage disaster risks, we must understand why and how disasters are connected – and address our role in perpetuating them.
The known number of people affected by disasters has jumped 80-fold since 2015.
He spoke about the role of climate change in that figure.
As a result, the President said that we must acknowledge that nature’s resources are finite, and our decisions are out of sync with that reality.
He spoke – as he often does – about the need for a Beyond GDP measurement so that we stop undervaluing the environmental and other costs of our actions.
The President also highlighted the importance of a people-centered approach.
As part of the today’s opening, United Nations Member States adopted by consensus a political declaration on disaster risk reduction.
The President summarized the issues at the core of the political declaration as quote “anticipate risks, calculate, factor in, prepare, prevent, respond rapidly and build the lessons learned into the next action plans.”
The work on the political declaration is one of the 16 processes of the General Assembly. It was led by Ambassador Mitch Fifield, the Permanent Representative of Australia, and Ambassador Armanatha Nair, the Permanent Representative of Indonesia.
DISASTERS ARE NOT NATURAL
Just a note that in the UN Headquarters lobby, there is an exhibit called “Disasters are not Natural”.
The official opening of the exhibit is tonight. President Kőrösi will take part.
Information on the exhibit is available at https://www.undrr.org/event/disasters-are-not-natural-art-exhibition
NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION
Turning to the G7 meeting…
As world leaders gather in Hiroshima, Japan … President Kőrösi today said he fully supports Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s aim for a nuclear-free world.
The President said that nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are more urgent now than ever before – with a reference here to the war against Ukraine.
President Kőrösi and Prime Minister Kishida discussed nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation when they met in Tokyo in February. The President’s comments today are linked to those conversations.
Related tweet: https://twitter.com/UN_PGA/status/1659187016968425484
VESAK DAY
This afternoon, President Kőrösi will take part in the commemoration of the International Day of Vesak.
The President is expected to say that the teachings and ideals of Buddha align with our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to create a world that is sustainable, just and equitable for everyone.
Watch on UN WebTV at https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1x/k1x4txa9a2
BILATERALS
Among the bilaterals today, President Kőrösi just met with Hungarian President Katalin Novák.
The President met this morning with Ambassador Václav Bálek, the President of the Human Rights Council. Related tweet: https://twitter.com/UN_PGA/status/1659247686938132490
QUESTIONS
There were no questions for the Spokesperson.
