Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– UN Charter Day
– Deputy Secretary-General
– Syria
– Yemen
– Mali
– DRC
– Brazil
– Argentina
– South Sudan
– Sudan
– UNICEF
– CERF
– International Days
UN CHARTER DAY
This morning, the Secretary-General did take part in the virtual General Assembly Commemoration of the Signing of the UN Charter. In his remarks, he recalled that the delegates in San Francisco in 1945 also lived through a global pandemic, depression and war, and they seized their opportunity to plant the seeds of something better and new. The Secretary-General said that today, we must do the same as we live in world mired in pandemic, torn by discrimination, endangered by climate change and scarred by poverty, inequality and war. We need to reimagine multilateralism, give it teeth to function as the founders intended, and ensure that effective global governance is a reality when it is needed. The Secretary-General also paid tribute to the service and sacrifice of thousands of United Nations peacekeepers, staff and others who, across the world and across the years, have given their lives while advancing the causes and values of the UN. The Charter’s vision stands the test of time and its values will continue to carry us forward, he said.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
The Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed opened the virtual Recover Better Together Action Forum. In her remarks, she stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic has made the promises of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals more relevant and vital than ever. She added that the Sustainable Development Group has developed a global framework that is guiding our socio-economic response in countries and the whole UN family is implementing it on the ground in full emergency mode to save lives and livelihoods. Ms. Mohammed noted that the crisis is a stark reminder that any recovery that fails to address the causes of our present vulnerabilities condemns us to more acute crises in the future. During the event UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka announced a new COVID-19 gender monitor. A new civil society data platform led by the global south thinktank CEPEI was also launched during the event. Both can be found on the “Recover Better Fund” portal: un.org/recoverbetter.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=26%20June%202020