NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS

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

Thursday, 20 October 2022

 

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

The General Assembly this morning was briefed on the report of the Economic and Social Council, covering the period from 23 July 2021 to 22 July 2022.

 

Ambassador Collen Kelapile, in his capacity as the President for the 2022 session of ECOSOC, briefed.

 

This afternoon, President Csaba Kőrösi will meet with Ambassador Lachezara Stoeva, who is the current ECOSOC President. This is the monthly meeting between the PGA and the ECOSOC President.

 

FIRST COMMITTEE

 

I wanted to update you on some of the work underway in the Committees.

 

Today, the First Committee hears a briefing by the Chair of the Eighth Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects. This meeting was convened at the UN Headquarters from 27 June to 1 Jul of this year.

 

The Committee was also briefed by the Chair of the Group of Governmental Experts on the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms. The goal of the Register is to make global reported arms trade transparent. The register has information on reported exports and imports of major convention arms, from battle tanks and warships, to small arms and light weapons.

 

Since the beginning of its deliberations on 3 October, the First Committee concluded its general debate, and the consideration of the “Nuclear Weapons” cluster.

 

Yesterday, the Committee also concluded its debate on “Other Weapons of Mass Destruction” cluster and began its consideration of the “Conventional Weapons” cluster – which continues later today.

 

Action on all resolutions and decisions, according to the program of work, is expected to start on Friday, 28 October and conclude on 4 November.

 

The chair of the First Committee is Ambassador Mohan Pieris, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka.

 

THIRD COMMITTEE

 

Turning to the Third Committee.

 

The Committee will today hold interactive dialogues with the following Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts.

  • Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Mr. Fernand De Varennes;
  • Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Ms. Alexandra Xanthaki – who Stephane mentioned will brief you in this room later today.
  • Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism, Ms. Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond;
  • Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, Mr. Obiora C. Okafor;
  • Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Ms. Tlaleng Mofokeng.
  • Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo.

 

The Third Committee is chaired by Ambassador José Alfonso Blanco Conde, the Permanent Representative of Dominican Republic.

 

RESIDENT COORDINATORS

Starting shortly, President Kőrösi will take part in an interactive dialogue between Member States and Resident Coordinators.

 

One of the points that the President will make is the need for stronger collaboration between Resident Coordinators and member states, to track the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

BILATERALS

 

In terms of his bilaterlas today, President Kőrösi will meet with OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov

 

CO-FACILITATORS

 

President Kőrösi has been appointing co-facilitators for the many processes and events that are coming up this year.

 

I will announce the appointments for the next few days.

 

Today, I wanted to highlight the Co-Chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations during the 77th session. Meaning Security Council Reform. The President has appointed Ambassador Michal Mlynár, Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic and Ambassador Tareq M. A. M. Albanai, Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait.

 

The President also appointed two co-chairs to lead the Steering Committee on Partnerships of SIDS. Those are Ambassador Ana Paula Zacarias, Permanent Representative of Portugal, and Ambassador Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa’olelei Luteru, the Permanent Representative of Samoa.

 

This May, there will a high-level meeting on the midterm review of the Sendai Framework. President Kőrösi has appointed Ambassador Mitch Fifield, the Permanent Representative of Australia, and Ambassador Arrmanatha Chrisiawan Nasir, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to lead negotiations on a political declaration to be appointed during that meeting.

 

PGA FELLOWSHIP

 

This morning, you would have received a press release about the President of the General Assembly Fellowship Programme.

If there is a Member State watching and would like to send in a nomination, please contact Sho Nishimura in our office.

Or if any of you would like more information, please let me know.

 

QUESTIONS

 

There were no questions for the Spokesperson.