PRESS BRIEFING BY BRENDEN VARMA, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT VOLKAN BOZKIR

United Nations Headquarters, New York

21 May 2021

PRESIDENT ISSUES “APPEAL FOR PEACE” AS MORE THAN 80 DELEGATIONS ADDRESS MIDDLE EAST MEETING

  • Yesterday the President convened an in-person plenary meeting on Palestine and the Middle East in the General Assembly Hall.
  • Eighty-one delegations spoke – including 12 individuals at the ministerial level. Because of the time constraints, 22 speakers did not get to take the floor. The meeting will therefore continue this Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.
  • Last night, following the meeting, the President sent an “Appeal for Peace” to all Member States. In the accompanying letter, he wrote that the Assembly’s meeting had highlighted the gravity of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza and East Jerusalem.
  • He said yesterday’s announcement of the overdue ceasefire in Gaza was reassuring. That was one of the key demands of Member States at the debate.
  • He added, “The General Assembly’s resolve to take action on behalf of Member States is critical to the United Nations. When Member States speak up together, we get results.”
  • He said he hoped all Member States would join him in this appeal and commit to peace for Israelis and Palestinians – today and every day.
  • In the appeal, which he also read out to the press yesterday evening, he said, “The Security Council has yet to even speak with a unified voice about the tragedy unfolding before us; to say that this is disappointing is an understatement.” He said he had convened yesterday’s meeting in large part to compensate for the silence of the Security Council.
  • Asked if there would be a written outcome from the Middle East meeting, the Spokesperson said that none was envisioned.
  • In response to an additional question, the Spokesperson said that the President had held separate bilateral meetings over the past two days with the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Kuwait, Pakistan, Palestine and Turkey. Readouts for all of those meetings were available on the President’s web site.

 

PRESIDENT CALLS FOR SUPPORT FOR CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS AT HIGH-LEVEL CULTURE EVENT

  • Today, the President, in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is convening a High-level Event on Culture and Sustainable Development.
  • The goal is to highlight the transformative role of culture as an accelerator of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing the cultural and creative sector post-COVID-19.
  • Today’s event consists of three panel discussions and a plenary session. Speakers include award-winning filmmakers Richard Curtis and Deeyah Khan; the Director of the Tate Modern Art Gallery; the Mayors and municipal leaders of Brazzaville, Changsha, Dubai, Lyon, Montreal and Rome; and the Ministers of Culture of Bangladesh, Croatia, Italy, Jamaica, Panama and Sweden.
  • In opening remarks, the President said that, far too often, society is blind to the socio-economic contributions of those in the creative and cultural spheres. But industries such as advertising, architecture, fashion, film and television, account for 3% of the global economy, are the largest employers of young people, and enrich our lives. Creative and cultural professionals therefore need support.

 

BIODIVERSITY MUST BE PROTECTED

  • This morning, the President addressed a virtual webinar on biodiversity, which was organized by the Permanent Mission of China, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
  • He said that if we are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, we need to integrate nature restoration into our efforts to build back better, prioritizing a green recovery from COVID-19 and preventing any further losses of our natural resources.
  • He also called for steps to protect against land degradation, recognizing that healthy soil is essential for a healthy planet.
  • Meanwhile, tomorrow is the International Day for Biological Diversity. In a video message to be released on the day, the President will say, “Our world is profoundly rich in biodiversity. It is hidden in the vibrant pinks of coral reefs, in the many-toned greens of forests, and in the deep blues of our oceans and skies.”
  • He will add, “In a world of such wonder, of such color, we must do all that we can to protect it. We are all part of the solution.”

 

OTHER ITEMS

  • Myanmar: Asked if there was a new date for the General Assembly’s meeting on Myanmar, which had been postponed last Tuesday, the Spokesperson said no new date had been announced yet.