{"id":239569,"date":"2021-03-18T18:22:45","date_gmt":"2021-03-18T22:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/75\/?p=239569"},"modified":"2021-03-18T18:22:45","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T22:22:45","slug":"summary-of-spokespersons-press-briefing-18-march-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/75\/2021\/03\/18\/summary-of-spokespersons-press-briefing-18-march-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Summary of Spokesperson\u2019s Press Briefing \u2013 18 March 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section bb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.47&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Heading&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.0&#8243; 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header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength=&#8221;header_6_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>PRESS BRIEFING BY BRENDEN VARMA, <\/strong><strong>SPOKESPERSON FOR <\/strong><strong>GENERAL ASSEMBLY <\/strong><strong>PRESIDENT VOLKAN BOZKIR<\/strong><\/h1>\n<div class=\"post-meta vcard\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>United Nations Headquarters, New York<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"updated\">18 March 2021<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.0&#8243; vertical_offset_tablet=&#8221;0&#8243; horizontal_offset_tablet=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index_tablet=&#8221;0&#8243; text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; 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header_text_shadow_horizontal_length=&#8221;header_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_text_shadow_vertical_length=&#8221;header_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_text_shadow_blur_strength=&#8221;header_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length=&#8221;header_2_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length=&#8221;header_2_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength=&#8221;header_2_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length=&#8221;header_3_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length=&#8221;header_3_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength=&#8221;header_3_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length=&#8221;header_4_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length=&#8221;header_4_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength=&#8221;header_4_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length=&#8221;header_5_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length=&#8221;header_5_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength=&#8221;header_5_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length=&#8221;header_6_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length=&#8221;header_6_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243; header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength=&#8221;header_6_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><strong>WORLD LEADERS ADDRESS HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON WATER<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Today the President is convening a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/75\/high-level-meeting-on-water\/\">high-level meeting on water<\/a> in the General Assembly Hall.<\/li>\n<li>In his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/75\/2021\/03\/18\/high-level-meeting-on-the-implementation-of-the-water-related-goals-and-targets-of-the-2030-agenda\/\">opening remarks,<\/a> he said it is a moral failure that we live in a world with such high levels of technical innovation and success, but we continue to allow billions of people to exist without clean drinking water or the basic tools to wash their hands.<\/li>\n<li>He said:\n<ul>\n<li>Water is life. We simply cannot live on this planet if we are deprived of this most basic human need.<\/li>\n<li>Water is sustainability. Safe drinking water systems and adequate sanitation are essential to ensure cities and towns grow sustainably; and<\/li>\n<li>Water is empowerment. For women and girls across the globe, the daily trek to collect water can be an impediment to accessing education, healthcare, or work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>He said today\u2019s discussion is not just about liquid in a bottle. Its presence or absence means so much more. It is about dignity. It is about opportunity. It is about our health and our ability to survive. And it is about equality.<\/li>\n<li>The President was joined in the opening segment by the Deputy Secretary-General; the President of the Economic and Social Council; the President of Tajikistan; the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, the President of the International Fund for Agriculture and Development, who chairs UN-Water; and a speaker from CONCAUSA, a youth group from Latin America and the Caribbean.<\/li>\n<li>As of now, there are currently 86 individuals inscribed on the high-level plenary\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/75\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/100\/2021\/03\/PGA-letter-HLM-on-Water-revised-programme-and-final-list-of-speakers.pdf\">provisional list of speakers<\/a>. Those include the Heads of State of Hungary, Austria and Slovenia; the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Egypt; the Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba; and the European Commissioner for International Partnerships.<\/li>\n<li>There will be two panel discussions, starting at 3:00 p.m. \u2013 one moderated by the Executive Director of UNICEF and the other by the Administrator of UNDP. Panelists will include the Mayor of Mexico City.<\/li>\n<li>Based on the number of speakers, it is expected that the high-level plenary will be extended beyond 7:00 this evening and into Monday.<\/li>\n<li>Asked for the President\u2019s response to the statement delivered by the Egyptian Prime Minister, the Spokesperson noted that the President had convened today\u2019s meeting to provide a platform for Member States on the water-related Sustainable Development Goals and targets. It was not for the President to comment on what Member States said there.<\/li>\n<li>Asked whether today\u2019s meeting would result in an outcome document, the Spokesperson said there would be a presidential summary, which would feed into such events as the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development\u00a0(HLPF).<\/li>\n<li>In terms of additional outcomes, the Spokesperson said it was hoped that Member States and other stakeholders would announce commitments, which would then be collected on an <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainabledevelopment.un.org\/sdgactions\">online platform<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>The Spokesperson added that the overall aim was to galvanize action towards meeting the water-related Sustainable Development Goals and targets \u2013 while making sure the international community was on track to meet those by 2030.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>PRESIDENT SENDS CONDOLENCES TO TANZANIA FOLLOWING PASSING OF HEAD OF STATE<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The President noted this morning that he had called the Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania last night to extend his <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UN_PGA\/status\/1372554173355589635\">deepest condolences<\/a> on the untimely passing of President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli.<\/li>\n<li>As he was a sitting Head of State, the General Assembly will hold a formal meeting to pay tribute to him.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>ASSEMBLY TO COMMEMORATE DAY AGAINST RACISM TOMORROW<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tomorrow morning, the General Assembly will hold its annual meeting to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 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