Transcript?of the Press Briefing by the Spokesperson of the President of the UN General Assembly
(15 April 2025)
The following is a near-verbatim transcript?of today¡¯s briefing?
Good afternoon, everyone?
The President of the UN General Assembly¡¯s statement on the second anniversary of the conflict in Sudan.?
Bombings and targeted attacks on densely populated areas have killed many civilians, injured thousands, and damaged critical civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and IDP camps.?
He calls on the parties to the conflict to immediately halt the fighting, silence the guns and return to dialogue to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict. He welcomes all international efforts, including the conference on Sudan in London, to bring this devastating conflict to an end and to facilitate a political solution.? The people of Sudan, he says, deserve to live in peace, security and human dignity.?
Recent travels?
The President has just returned from a trip to Slovakia and T¨¹rkiye.??In Slovakia, he attended the meeting of the Council of former Presidents of the General Assembly. He also met with H.E. Mr. Robert Fico, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, where they discussed ongoing global and regional challenges, as well as the 80th anniversary of the UN and the importance of reaffirming our commitment to the UN Charter.??
He then continued to T¨¹rkiye for the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum. There, he stressed that as the world faces a myriad of challenges, from conflict to climate change to economic distress, we need to recommit to a multilateral approach built on the principles of cooperation, dialogue, and diplomacy if we are to deliver results.? He met with Cevdet Y?lmaz, Vice President of the Republic of T¨¹rkiye and exchanged views on strengthening multilateral cooperation and advancing shared priorities at the Â鶹APP.??
Meetings this week?
With regard to meetings this week, there is an informal meeting of the plenary today on the intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Council.?The meeting focuses on the size of the future Council and there will also be a cluster discussion on regional representation.??
Also, this goes to my reminder ¨C probably my second one – that on Thursday 17 April, the noon briefing guest will be H.E. Mr. Tareq AlBanai, Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the UN and the Chair of the IGN on UN Security Council Reform. He will brief on the status of negotiations taking place at the UN General Assembly.?
This afternoon, there is a meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the UN General Assembly. The Chef de Cabinet of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General will brief on senior leadership talent pool. ?
Tomorrow, 16 April, there will be action taken on a number of resolutions?
- The UN Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation in line with Sustainable Forest Management?
- Participation of NGOs, civil society, academic institutions and private sector in the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development????
- The Cooperation between the UN and Council of Europe.?
There will also be a minute¡¯s silence at the opening of the plenary on the passing of H.E. Mr. Amara Essy, former Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of C?te d’Ivoire.?
Next Week?
There will be a high-level meeting on Harmony with nature and living well on 22 April, International Mother Earth Day. The meeting is intended to reinforce multilateralism through the promotion of sustainable lifestyles and holistic approaches in harmony with nature that contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.?
There will also be intergovernmental consultations on the high-level meeting to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth on 23 April.?
There will be an address by the President of the Republic of Paraguay on 29 April?in the General Assembly Hall at 12 pm.??
Key reminder?
A reminder that the informal interactive dialogue that President Yang is convening with candidate, H.E. Annalena Baerbock, for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly takes place on 15 May at 10 am. ?
Civil society representatives and individuals are invited to submit their questions to the candidate which will be answered during the dialogue. Questions must be submitted on the General Assembly¡¯s website no later than 25 April 2025. We will share the link in the transcript. (Please find the link )?
Travel of the President of the General Assembly
The President will undertake an official visit to the Kingdom of Morocco from 19-23 April 2025 to lead the thematic conference on the Pact for the Future. This thematic conference, organized by the Moroccan Institute for Training, Research and Diplomatic Studies, will bring together the UN Resident Coordinator, the diplomatic corps, Moroccan Institute laureates, professors, and former ambassadors of His Majesty the Kingdom of Morrocco.?
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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: +1 917 361 4990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org
More Information and Updates?: Website: ???: ??: ; Weekly Highlights: Resolutions of the 79th Session ¨C UN General Assembly