OFFICIAL VISIT TO GENEVA

I would like to start with a trip announcement.

The President General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, will make an official visit to Geneva, Switzerland, from 26 February to 1 March.

The President will address the opening of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, on 27 February, alongside the President of the Human Rights Council, Václav Bálek and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk. I will try to get you those remarks under embargo before Monday.

The working visit will include meetings with the Foreign Minister of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis. As well as with Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva (UNOG), and senior representatives of the UN agencies, funds and programmes located in Geneva.

The President will also meet with civil society organizations, academics and researchers, and youth.

On 28 February, President Kőrösi will brief the press at the Palais on the upcoming UN Water Conference, which will be held in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023. That will be carried live on UN WebTV.

Costs for the visit are covered by the OPGA Trust Fund.

You have the details in a media advisory in English and French your inbox and online: https://www.un.org/pga/77/2023/02/22/un-general-assembly-president-to-address-human-rights-council-in-geneva/

EMERGENCY SPECIAL SESSION

This afternoon is the Emergency Special Session.

President Csaba Korosi will speak first. He will make remarks in English and Russian.

He will be followed by the Secretary-General António Guterres.

Then the Member States. You have the List of Speakers. There are 80 speakers currently inscribed: e-Delegate+ (unmeetings.org)

As you know, today’s meeting will run form 3PM to 9PM, and resume at 10AM tomorrow.

There is a draft resolution for action, as well as two draft amendments. All those texts are available on the UN Journal page for the meeting, and I will include that link with the notes: https://journal.un.org/en/new-york/meeting/officials/0e2f9564-8a83-40d3-6e7f-08daff194b89/2023-02-22

BILATERALS

Turning to today’s bilaterals.

The President met this morning with HRH Princess Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite, Executive Director of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust. This is in the context of injecting more science into the work of the General Assembly.

The President is due to meet later today with the Foreign Minister of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili. The war in Ukraine and the Emergency Special Session is expected to be discussed.

The President will also meet today with Secretary-General António Guterres. This is their regularly planned monthly meeting.

In terms of other bilaterals, the President will meet with Ambassador Sedat Önal, the new Permanent Representative of Türkiye.