Transcript of the Press Briefing by the Spokesperson of the President of the UN General Assembly
(25 February 2025)
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing
Good afternoon, everyone,
The Eleventh Emergency Special Session on Ukraine
At the eleventh emergency special session on Ukraine that took place yesterday, the General Assembly adopted two resolutions, one “Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” and the other titled “The Path to Peace”.
The President of the UN General Assembly, Philemon Yang, in his opening remarks delivered by Vice President of the General Assembly Francisco Jose da Cruz, stated that we cannot afford another year of this unjust war. He added that we must be prepared to promote inclusive dialogue and actively work towards a just and sustainable peace—one firmly anchored in international law, General Assembly resolutions, and, above all, the will and rights of Ukraine and its people.
Security Council Reform (IGN meetings)
A reminder that informal meetings on intergovernmental negotiations on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Council take place this week on 27 and 28 February. The President is encouraged by the discussions that are taking place. He stresses that the Security Council needs to be more inclusive and representative of today’s world and encourages Member States to bring creativity, flexibility and a spirit of consensus to the process.
First informal meeting – high-level conference on the situation of Rohinyga Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar
To note there will be the first informal meeting on organizational arrangements for the high-level conference on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar on 28 February. The co-facilitators are the Permanent Representatives of Finland and Malaysia.
Trips to Nairobi and Addis Ababa
As you are aware, the President was in Ethiopia and Kenya on courtesy visits. In Addis Ababa, he met with the President of Ethiopia H.E. Taye Atske Selassie where they discussed the opportunity the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development presents to reshape financial systems to better serve developing nations. They also discussed the need to harness science, technology, and innovation to drive Africa’s sustainable growth in line with Agenda 2063.
While in Nairobi, he met with the President of the Republic of Kenya H.E. William Ruto and highlighted Kenya’s key role in strengthening multilateralism through its contributions to peace and security and sustainable development.
UN Human Rights Council, Geneva
The President is currently in Geneva for the 58th session of the Human Rights Council. He will be there until 26 February, tomorrow. In his remarks at the opening segment of the 58th session, he said that as President of the General Assembly, he aims to advance the global human rights agenda, mindful that strengthening cooperation between the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council – two vital pillars of the United Nations – has never been more urgent. While there, he meets with several officials, including the President of the Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.
Upcoming meetings
The President of the Republic of Poland His Excellency Andrzej Duda will brief Member States on Tuesday 4 March in the General Assembly Hall at 12 pm.
There will be some informal consultations taking place next week as well:
- the high-level meeting on the Global Plan of Action to combat trafficking in persons (5 March)
- informal briefing on priorities and preparations for COP30 (5 March)
- informal consultations on the World Summit on the Information Society (6 March) (There are also consultations tomorrow)
- the high-level meeting to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (6 March)
Election of the new President of the General Assembly
The election of the President of the General Assembly for the 80th session will be held on Monday 2 June 2025 at 10 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall. In accordance with the established regional rotation, the President of the eightieth session of the General Assembly is to be elected from the Western European and Other States Group.
H.E. Ms. Helga Maria Schmid has been nominated by Germany.
Candidates for the position of the President of the General Assembly are expected to present their vision statements and conduct informal interactive dialogues with Member States. President Yang will convene the informal interactive dialogue on Thursday 15 May 2025 at 10 a.m. This can be followed on UN WebTV.
The Nelson Mandela Prize
The deadline for online nominations for the Nelson Mandela Prize has been extended until 24 March 2025.
As you know, to reiterate, the Prize is awarded every five years to two individuals (one female and one male), in recognition of their dedicated service to humanity, by promoting the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Media Contacts
Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org
Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org
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