PRESS BRIEFING
BY MONICA GRAYLEY,
SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY
PRESIDENT DENNIS FRANCIS
United Nations Headquarters, New York
26 July 2024
Good afternoon, everyone! I will start today, and my colleague Farhan Haq will follow to brief you on behalf of the Secretary-General. We will start with a trip announcement for the PGA.
PGA DENNIS FRANCIS TO TRAVEL TO ROME, HOLY SEE AND UNITED KINGDOM
The President of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Dennis Francis, will undertake an official visit to Rome, at the invitation of the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in conjunction with the Holy See as well as the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom, from 28 to 31 July 2024.
In Rome, the PGA will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the FAO. They will jointly reflect on the current global food crisis. The PGA will highlight the critical role of FAO and other Rome-based organizations in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in this important area, amidst the deteriorating food insecurity situation in which the set goals and targets are at high risk of being unmet.
At FAO Headquarters, and with a view to shore up action, the PGA will also deliver a lecture entitled, “Accelerating progress towards Zero Hunger for the current and future generations”, followed by an interactive dialogue to highlight the urgency to address the worsening food insecurity.
While in Rome, the PGA will visit the Holy See, where he will be accorded a distinctive audience with His Holiness, Pope Francis. They are expected to jointly reflect on the challenging state of the global situation and to underscore the importance of reinvigorating multilateralism, diplomacy and dialogue, as well as promoting harmony, international understanding and tolerance among all nations and peoples; with particular emphasis on the importance of freedom of religion, standing against all forms of discrimination, intolerance and hate.
Following his visit to Rome, the PGA and his delegation will proceed to the United Kingdom, where President Francis will receive an honorary degree in international affairs from the University of Buckingham on 31 July 2024.
The PGA’s delegation includes his Special Adviser on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, his Deputy Chef de Cabinet, a Media Relations and Communications Adviser, as well as an Adviser for Sustainable Development.
The PGA’s delegation to Buckingham will include his Special Adviser on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, his Deputy Chef de Cabinet, a Media Relations and Communications Adviser.
Travel costs for the visits will be covered by the OPGA’s Trust Fund.
PGA TO CONVENE HIGH-LEVEL FORUM ON CULTURE OF PEACE
The President of the General Assembly will commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
The United Nations High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace Cultivating and Nurturing the Culture of Peace for Present and Future Generations will take place on Friday, 2 August in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
President Francis will deliver opening remarks followed by a representative of the Secretary-General, a youth speaker, and other interlocutors.
The plenary segment will open at 11 a.m. for statements by Member States. In the afternoon, at 3 p.m., there will be a panel discussion under the theme: “Cultivating and Nurturing the Culture of Peace for Present and Future Generations”.
More details on the list of participants will be shared with you soon.
WEEK AHEAD:
For your diaries, next week Member States will continue with informal consultations on the Summit of the Future from Monday 29 to Thursday 1 August.
On Thursday, the General Assembly Hall will hold its 102nd plenary meeting on Enhancing Action on Sea-Level Rise and the scope, modalities, and format of the high-level plenary meeting, which is expected in September, among other topics.
This is everything we have for today.
Do you have anything else?
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