President of the UN General Assembly to attend the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva
New York, 21 February 2025 – The President of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang, will undertake an official visit to Geneva, Switzerland, from 22-26 February 2025 to participate in the 58th session of the Human Rights Council.
The Opening Segment of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council
The President of the General Assembly will address the opening segment of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council. He will take the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to protecting all human rights, with an emphasis on the rights of women and girls, reiterating that the Pact for the Future, and the Declaration on Future Generations, demand the full implementation of international commitments on women’s rights.
Additionally, he will speak at the annual high-level panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming under the theme “Thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action” and at the High-level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament.
Bilateral Meetings
During his visit, President Yang will hold bilateral meetings, including with Ambassador Jürg Lauber, President of the Human Rights Council; Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva; Mr. Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Ms. Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs; and H.E Butin Sergey Vladimirovich, First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.
Executive Briefing to Member States
He will also speak at the executive briefing to Member States on his priorities, including the implementation of the Pact of the Future, aiming to foster engagement with Member States and Observers based in Geneva. This engagement seeks to ensure synergy and complementarity between Geneva and New York, in particular with regard to the work of the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.
The costs of the visit are borne by the OPGA Trust Fund.
Media contacts
- Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: + 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org
- Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations M: +1 917 361 4990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org
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