A panel of nine global economic and political leaders would aim to nail down innovative ways to help develop the world’s poorest countries in the run-up to the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Turkey next year, key members of the group said today at a Headquarters press conference.
In progress at UNHQ
Press Conference
Ms. Yanghee Lee, Chairperson for the Committee on the Rights of the Child, highlighted new developments regarding protection and promotion of child rights, including ongoing work towards elaboration of a “groundbreaking” third optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, during the first ever press conference held on the Convention, which took place at Headquarters today.
With the prevalence of discrimination and violence against women rising around the world, all States must become parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and its Optional Protocol, to ensure the dignity and respect that women worldwide deserved, Zou Xiaoqiao, Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, stressed today.
Despite not having won election to the Security Council, Canada would continue to work towards a transparent Council that was accountable to Member States as well as responsive to contemporary realities and challenges, Lawrence Cannon, the country’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, said today.
Recent releases of thousands of child soldiers showed that that attention to the plight of children in armed conflict had made an impact, but stronger action was needed to deal with persistent violators, sexual violence and reintegration, the top United Nations official on the issue said this afternoon.
Economic diversification would reduce African reliance on natural resource revenues and encourage sustainable growth in telecommunications, agriculture, tourism and other strategic sectors, according to a report released by the United Nations and partner organizations this afternoon.
Ion Botnaru, Director of the General Assembly and Economic and Social Council Affairs Division in the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, briefed correspondents today on the rules of procedure for tomorrow’s election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council.
SG/SM/13166
Following is a transcript of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s press conference held in New York today, 6 October:
Pledges from a meeting to replenish the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria would allow millions more lives to be saved in the next three years, but additional funds could do even more, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this afternoon at a headquarters press conference.
The Security Council’s programme of work for October would include a mission to Uganda and Sudan, as well as two public debates — the first, at the ministerial level, on women and peace and security to mark the tenth anniversary of the first Council resolution on that subject, and the second on the Middle East — Ruhakana Rugunda (Uganda), Council President for the month, said today at Headquarters.