NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS

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

Wednesday, 29 March 2023

 

ICJ

The General Assembly this morning passed by consensus a resolution that could impact how Member States react to climate change.

President Csaba Kőrösi applauds the decision of the Assembly to request an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States in respect of climate change.

The resolution is rooted in multilateralism and a rules-based order, the President notes.

In the end, 131 Member States sponsored this resolution.

Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau introduced the draft.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, the Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations, is presiding over the morning session of the General Assembly.

Given the number of speakers, we expect statements after adoption of the draft to continue in the afternoon session AFTER the debate and action on a draft resolution on the role of diamonds in fueling conflict.

So at 3PM will be diamonds, and then continuation of the report of the ICJ.

 

ZERO-WASTE

Looking to tomorrow..

There will be a high-level meeting on Zero Waste, which will provide an opportunity to exchange experiences and success stories on developing and implementing solid waste management solutions and technologies.

The high-level event will begin at 10AM ET in the General Assembly Hall, with the opening segment.

Speakers will include Mrs. Aksoltan Ataeva, Vice President of the General Assembly on behalf of the President of the General Assembly, and the Permanent Representatives of Turkmenistan.

Secretary-General António Guterres will then speak.

The keynote address will be by Ms. Emine Erdoğan, the First Lady of the Republic of Türkiye

You will then hear from:

  • the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif;
  • Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Mr. Qu Dongyu, via pre-recorded message;
  • and UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of UNEP New York Office Ms. Ligia Noronha

There will then be a general debate and a panel discussion on the topic of “innovative solutions for promoting sustainable consumption and production: ‘Zero Waste’ initiatives.”

 

QUESTIONS

The Spokesperson was asked what will happen with the advisory opinion once given. The Spokesperson said that as typical of the General Assembly, this is a Member State-driven process. Given that the advisory opinion is not legally binding, it is up to Member States how they use the information and next steps.