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US President Donald Trump is probably going to journey to New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly session in September, the only world leader to handle this yr’s digital high-level week in person, the US envoy to the UN mentioned.
“We’re hoping that President Trump will actually be speaking in person in the General Assembly. He will be the only world leader to be speaking in person,” US ambassador Kelly Craft mentioned Thursday at a digital briefing.
Craft added that with the UN commemorating its 75th anniversary this yr, “that makes it even more special that we really take the virtual and amplify it to be able to celebrate the 75th and obviously we’re going to be focused on human rights issues, on transparency, accountability because anytime during COVID where the American taxpayers have really stepped up on a personal level, it’s now.” For the primary time in the UN’s 75-year historical past, the annual General Assembly session will be held just about and Heads of state and authorities won’t be bodily attending the annual gathering due to the coronavirus pandemic.
World leaders will submit pre-recorded video statements for the high-level week, the 193-member organisation had determined final week.
US is the host nation of the United Nations and there’s a risk that Trump might journey to New York to handle the General Debate of the 75th session of the Assembly on September 22.
The US is historically the second speaker on the debate after Brazil. This would be Trump’s remaining handle to the General Assembly of the primary time period of his presidency earlier than the US heads into elections in November and Trump might use the UN platform to spotlight his international coverage achievements whereas additionally tout his marketing campaign agenda. In taking the choice for a digital UNGA, the General Assembly had famous “with concern” the scenario concerning the coronavirus pandemic and the “limitations recommended on meetings within the United Nations premises as precautionary measures aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19.”
The new format will imply that it’ll be for the primary time in the world organisation’s 75-year historical past that Heads of State and Government and Ministers won’t collect right here for the high-level week that yearly brings hundreds of diplomats, authorities officers, civil society members and media individuals from across the world to New York City.
Addressing a digital press convention in June, General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande had mentioned that world leaders can’t come to New York for the annual UN General Assembly session in September due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“World leaders cannot come to New York because they cannot come as single individuals. A president doesn’t travel alone. We don’t expect therefore to have presidents here,” Muhammad-Bande had mentioned.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, responding to a query on Trump addressing the UNGA session in person, mentioned that the UN Secretariat will be in contact, by way of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, with the member states on their illustration.
“When it comes to it, we have made clear what the conditions in the building are, what the need is for a scaled back ceremony….the member states are aware that they have different options, including recorded messages, or in some cases, appearances. We trust and expect that all member states will abide by the need to keep the numbers low, and we’ll see what they do in terms of their preparations.” Haq added that the UN has made clear to all member states the necessity to preserve the delegations’ quantity low throughout the high-level week. “There is an absolute upper limit of how many people we can safely accommodate, and all Member States have been made aware of that. How they will adjust is a matter ultimately of discussion between the Member States and the United Nations.” Along with the General Debate and 75th anniversary commemoration, key high-level classes will even be held just about on the UN.
The Summit on Biodiversity will be held on September 30, high-level assembly of the General Assembly on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women on October 1 and the high-level assembly to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on October 2. Member states will submit their pre-recorded video statements for these high-level conferences as effectively.
Each nation would be inspired to observe the time restrict of 15 minutes in the General Debate that would come with remarks in the Assembly Hall to introduce the pre-recorded video and the video itself.
Muhammad-Bande has informed Member States that with a view to restrict the footprint and the variety of individuals into the UN constructing, bodily entry and presence will be restricted to one or, if the scenario permits, two delegates in the General Assembly corridor. Further, he mentioned member states “are encouraged to move all side events to virtual platforms to limit the footprint and number of people in the UN building.”
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