NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS

Spokesperson for General Assembly President Csaba K?r?si
United Nations Headquarters, New York

Wednesday, 23 August 2023

WORLD WATER WEEK

The President of the General Assembly, Csaba K?r?si, is in Stockholm today, where he continues his official visit focused on World Water Week and sustainability.

This hour, the President is attending the Stockholm Water Prize Ceremony, which is like the Nobel Prize for Water… and coincidentally, it is awarded in the same venue as the Nobel Prizes.

This year’s recipient is hydrologist Andrea Rinaldo, an Italian national – and in awarding the Prize, the committee noted that he showed connections between river networks and the spread of aquatic species, solutes, and diseases.

Earlier today, the President was received by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf.

They discussed the water crisis, sustainability and other domestic issues

Among his other bilaterals today, the President met with the Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation. Mr. Hani Sewillam. They discussed the follow-up to the UN Water Conference and how to build capacity and harness innovation across Africa.

Also today, the President met with Mr. Stefan L?fven, the former Prime Minister and a Chair at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute or SIPRI.

The President will wrap up his official travel tomorrow, and then heads back to New York, where he will oversee the General Assembly on Friday.

?

FRIDAY’S GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Let’s turn to Friday because it is a packed agenda, starting at 10AM in the Trusteeship Council Chamber – we’re still in the Trusteeship this week.

Member States are expected to take action on at least 12 draft resolutions.

The first draft resolution is related to the Solomon Islands, and would extend the preparatory period for the Solomon Islands to graduate from the Least Developed Country category.

The second draft would create a new international day – the World Basketball Day on 21 December.

There are two resolutions that I cannot yet see related to follow up of outcomes of major UN conferences.

The fifth draft resolution would create the International Day of Clean Energy on 26 January.

The sixth draft resolution is related to the 2024 SIDS Conference, and sets the dates and times of that conference for May of next year.

The seventh draft is related to the UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, which, among other items, would schedule that conference for February 2024 and April/May 2024.

The eighth draft resolution is under the topic of information and telecommunications in the context of international security. I do not yet see that text on the public website.

Same for the ninth resolution, which is under the umbrella of cooperation between the UN and the Economic Cooperation Organization.

The tenth draft is related to the cooperation between the UN and the International Organization of La Francophonie. That details some of the cooperation undertaken and decides to include this item in the provisional agenda for the 79^th session.

The 11^th draft is on cooperation between the UN and the Pacific Islands Forum.

And then we get to the 12^th draft, which will include a debate and action on a draft resolution. This is on the topic of UN action on sexual exploitation and abuse.

 

WEEK AHEAD

In terms of what is scheduled for next week that might be of interest to you…

Next week, we are back in the General Assembly Hall. As you know work was being done on the Hall to make it more accessible.

On Tuesday, 29 August, starting at 10AM ET will be the High-level plenary meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day against Nuclear Tests. President K?r?si will have remarks.

Then Thursday, 31 August, starting at 3PM ET is the High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace. That will be in Conference Room 4.

Then on Friday, 1 September, that will be our last press conference together.

Monday, 4 September is Labor Day and a UN Holiday.

The 77^th session of the General Assembly will officially close on Tuesday, 5 September. And I will have tell you more about that next week.

The President’s schedule for next week is absolutely packed, as you can image. He will be meeting with the co-facilitators and the co-chairs working on the UNGA summits, as well as tying up all the loose ends for the handover.

 

 

QUESTIONS

The Spokesperson was asked about the draft resolution on World Basketball Day. The Spokesperson said the text is available online and shared a copy with the journalist.

The Spokesperson was asked for the President’s reaction to India reaching the Lunar South Pole. The Spokesperson said that the President congratulates India, and shared that Indian colleagues within OPGA were also celebrating this remarkable achievement.