Appointment, Secretary General, DSG & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (18 Jan 2023)

United Nations published this video item, entitled “Appointment, Secretary General, DSG & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (18 Jan 2023)” – below is their description.

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

– Appointment

– Secretary General

– Deputy Secretary-General

– Middle East

– Palestine

– Ukraine

– Ukraine / Humanitarian

– Black Sea Grain Initiative

– Central African Republic

– Democratic Republic of the Congo

– Guatemala

– Latin America and the Caribbean

– Financial Contributions

APPOINTMENT

First off, I have an appointment to announce: Following the recommendation of the Secretary-General, after consultation with Member States, the General Assembly has confirmed Inger Andersen of Denmark as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme for a further four-year term, beginning on 15 June 2023 and ending on 14 June 2027. Ms. Andersen is currently serving her initial four-year term.

Before becoming Executive Director in 2019, Ms. Andersen was engaged in international development economics, environmental sustainability and policymaking for over 30 years.

SECRETARY-GENERAL

The Secretary-General delivered his special address to the plenary meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos today. He laid out a blunt picture of the state of the world and divisions standing in the way of global problem-solving.  “I am not here to sugar-coat the scale of that challenge – or the sorry state of our world,” he said. “We can’t confront problems unless we look them squarely in the eye. And we are looking into the eye of a Category 5 hurricane.”

The Secretary-General detailed the challenges we face regarding global health, the fear of recession, debt load, violations of international law and climate change – to name just a few. “It would be difficult to find solutions to these global problems in the best of times – if the world was united,” Mr. Guterres said. “But these are far from the best of times – and the world is far from united.”

He encouraged world leaders to work to control the damage and seize opportunities. “Now more than ever, it’s time to forge the pathways to cooperation in our fragmented world,” he said. 

Earlier this morning, the Secretary-General met with Alain Berset, the President of the Swiss Confederation. Following the address, the Secretary-General attended the annual Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders. On the margins of the World Economic Forum, the Secretary-General had a number of meetings with private sector leaders relating to the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the export of Russian fertilizer. He also participated in an event organized by the UN Global Compact.

Later this evening, he will attend an evening event with the Global Investors for Sustainable Development. The Secretary-General will call on members of the alliance to leverage their expertise and influence to reach the wider universe of businesses, including in developing countries, to scale up investments for sustainable development.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL

The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, and the Assistant Secretary-General of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, Khaled Khiari, arrived yesterday in Kabul, as part of their wider mission in the region.

On behalf of the Secretary-General, they held a series of meetings with UN staff, national and international NGOs, and Afghan women to take stock of the situation, convey solidarity and discuss ways to promote and protect women and girls’ rights in the aftermath of the recent decision by the de facto authorities.

They stressed the need to uphold human rights, especially for women and girls, and were encouraged by exemptions being introduced that have allowed the resumption of some humanitarian activities that had been hampered following the ban. At the same time, they underscored the importance of continuing to be driven by principles.

The delegation also commenced engagement with the de facto authorities on this matter and the longer-term perspectives for Afghanistan. The mission will continue in the field over the coming days, and we will share further updates when available.

Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=18%20January%202023

United Nations YouTube Channel

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