Press Release

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The first virtual meeting of the United Nations World Data Forum concluded with the launch of the data community’s response to COVID‑19, stressing the increased demand for relevant, timely and trusted data and statistics as a critical part of building back a more equitable, sustainable and resilient future.

Complaints and concerns about the abuse of the Headquarters Agreement by the United States dominated discussion in the Sixth Committee (Legal) today, as delegations took up the report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country.  (For background, see Press Release GA/L/3622.)

Stressing that “censorship kills scholarship”, the United Nations expert on free expression launched a passionate defence of academia as a bastion of ideas that all too often comes under siege by States seeking to control or supress the flow of information, as Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) delegates continued their interactive dialogues on broad questions of human rights today.

Following is UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ message on World Cities Day, observed on 31 October:

The United Nations will host a workshop and discussion entitled “Educating against Racism” on 29 October at 10 a.m. EDT.  The programme will explore how education and educators can challenge racism and prejudice - legacies of histories of oppression, atrocity crimes and genocide.  The programme will illustrate how teachers might facilitate difficult conversations about identity, discrimination, racism and prejudice, and support students to respond with empathy and action.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the extraordinary session of the Global Education Meeting, today:

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:

Governments must ensure that people facing discrimination are included in dialogues and decisions affecting their lives, experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates discussed cultural rights, as well as the human rights of persons with disabilities and albinism.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres: