NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS

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

Thursday, 22 June 2023

 

COUNTER-TERRORISM

The General Assembly today adopted by consensus a plan to fight terrorism.

This was in the form of a resolution entitled “The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy: eighth review”.

And you have the text in your inboxes.

Among its points, the resolution underlines the importance of multilateral efforts in combating terrorism and refraining from any practices and measures inconsistent with international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

The resolution requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its eightieth session, no later than February 2026, a report on progress made in the implementation of the Strategy…

And the General Assembly decides to review that report no later than June 2026.

The co-facilitators of the 8th Review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy are Ambassadors Robert Rae, the Permanent Representative of Canada, and Ambassador Tarik Ladeb, the Permanent Representative of Tunisia.

And this was one of the 16 intergovernmental negotiation process of the General Assembly.

President Csaba Kőrösi thanked the co-facilitators in his remarks before action was taken.

He said that the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is a unique instrument, carrying truly transformative potential.

It provides the framework for action, he said, and outlines the tools at our disposal.

What is needed now is the political and moral will to act together.

He spoke plainly saying  – Let us remember, that people outside the Turtle Bay might not be interested in some sophisticated references in long resolutions we may produce. They simply want us to act together to reduce the danger of terrorism.

You have the President’s full remarks in your inbox and online: https://www.un.org/pga/77/2023/06/22/pga-remarks-to-ga-plenary-on-global-counter-terrorism-strategy/

 

MORNING DIALOGUE

This morning, the President met with a small group of Ambassadors to discuss rebuilding trust in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

This discussion was off-record, as part of the Morning Dialogue Series.

A summary of the key ideas will be circulated to Member States in due time.

 

OPGA FELLOWS PODCAST

And the third episode of the OPGA Fellows Podcast is out…

Gerard Anapu speaks with Thierry Watrin, the Green Economy and Climate Change Advisor to the Government of Rwanda.

Mr. Watrin talks about the conscious decision young people in Rwanda made to have a sustainable country, and the importance of valuing the environment – part of the discussions now underway about Beyond GDP.

Gerard spoke to Thierry in New York, on the sidelines of a science briefing to General Assembly Member States.

The SoundCloud link will be with my notes: https://soundcloud.com/pga-youth-fellows/episode-3-conversation-with-thierry-watrin-on-green-economy

 

QUESTIONS

The Spokesperson was asked about the US Supreme Court decision in the case of water rights and the Navajo Nation, as it relates to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The response is that while GA resolutions are not legally binding, they are recommendations of the entire General Assembly and the hope is that Member States act in good faith.