NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS
Spokesperson for General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi
United Nations Headquarters, New York
Tuesday, 21 March 2023
It’s a packed briefing, so I will start early. I will be immediately followed by guest, Carmen Burbano, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Director of School Feeding, will brief reporters virtually on the launch of WFP’s State of School Feeding Report.
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Happening this hour…
President Csaba Kőrösi is taking part in a commemorative meeting of the General Assembly to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
In his remarks opening the commemoration, President Kőrösi likened racism to a virus that mutates and adapts itself to different times and contexts. Quote “it is said that ‘racism is like a Cadillac, there is a new model every year’. In fact, its manifestations and symptoms may change, but the breadth of its harm remains intact. “
The President also spoke about the link between racism and hate speech… with old falsehoods taking on new forms through modern technologies, including online algorithms that perpetuate racial stereotypes and biases. He noted that left unregulated, social media can supercharge campaigns of extreme violence that can go as far as fomenting genocide.
The President noted that millions of Africans and people of African descent; Asians and people of Asian descent; indigenous peoples; national, ethnic, and linguistic minorities; religious communities; and migrants continue to be subjected to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, inequality, and exclusion in various areas of their lives.
While in 1945, the international community vowed “never again” and pledged to deliver on the promise that “all are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law”…. Today, we commemorate that vow and that promise, the President said. We can do this through education, dialogue, advocacy, and self-reflection, through just policy-making and good governance.
You have the full remarks as delivered in English, Arabic, French and Russian: https://www.un.org/pga/77/2023/03/21/pga-remarks-to-the-international-day-for-the-elimination-of-racial-discrimination-commemorative-meeting/
President Kőrösi spoke along Secretary-General António Guterres; New York City Mayor Eric Adams; Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ilze Brands Kehris; and Professor Verene Albertha Sheperd.
WATERS AND DISASTERS
This afternoon, President Kőrösi will make remarks to the 6th UN Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters.
You will hear him highlight four main benefits of climate smart water management.
First, efforts to improve disaster resilience. For example, the Early Warnings for All initiative – launched by the UN Secretary-General and led by WMO – which aims to ensure that everyone is protected by systems that warn about hazardous weather events.
Second, the President will say that climate smart water management can bolster societal resilience and multilateral cooperation. This can be done through a global water information system, for example – one of the game changers of the October consultation held ahead of the UN Water Conference.
Third, the President will note that climate smart-water and land management is essential for lowering greenhouse gas emissions and capturing carbon.
And fourth, climate smart water management can help us rethink – and strengthen – our policy frameworks for biodiversity.
The full remarks will be shared with you.
WATER EXHIBIT
This afternoon, President Kőrösi will participate in an exhibit inauguration entitled “Road to World Water Forum 2024” organized by Indonesia… who will host the 10th World Water Forum next year.
The President will make short remarks.
He is expected to note the 12th century-old Subak irrigation system in the host province of Bali as a great example of water management.
BILATERALS
The President has a number of bilaterals today, all in the context of the UN Water Conference which starts tomorrow at 9AM ET in the GA Hall.
Those meetings are with:
Dr. Hani Sewelam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Egypt
Chinese Minister of Water Resources Mr. Li Guoying
Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Public Housing and Public Infrastructure of the Republic of Indonesia
And then tonight, the President will have a working dinner to discuss transformative commitments from the Conference… with the co-hosts, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan.
UN WATER CONFERENCE REMARKS
President Kőrösi will address the opening of the UN Water Conference.
He will outline the challenges of the water crisis and the solutions. He will also call for water as a global common good, and urge the international community to adjust policy, legislation an financing accordingly.
I will put out those remarks under embargo this afternoon. They will be in English, Arabic, French and Russian.
QUESTIONS
The Spokesperson was asked to confirm if 29 March will be date for action on the ICJ/Vanuatu resolution. The Spokesperson repeated that yes, the General Assembly is expected to take action on 29 March at 10AM ET on a draft resolution related to the International Court of Justice and climate change. There might be a GA press stakeout.
