The busiest week of the year continued on Thursday at UN Headquarters and we used our social media platforms to report on the events. Armed with mobile phones and cameras, our social media team and UN Photographers attended events on Wednesday to capture some behind-the-scenes photos. Read on for more highlights.
Flags outside UN Headquarters. Credit: Ivan Laca. See the full gallery here.
The General Assembly’s annual General Debate continued on Thursday with political leaders and senior Government officials holding discussions on shaping the world’s next development agenda, which will aim to protect the planet and promote equity, justice and prosperity for all people.
- Get recaps of all the remarks from the UN News Centre
- See who spoke on Thursdsay and get links to the full remarks
- Follow #UNGA
High-level meeting on Nuclear Disarmament.
“Some might complain that nuclear disarmament is little more than a dream. But that ignores the very tangible benefits disarmament would bring for all humankind,” Ban Ki-moon told UN Member States at the first High-level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament ever held by the General Assembly devoted to this issue.
“Over the past decade, many countries have embarked on historic reforms – strengthening anti-discrimination laws, combating hate crime against LGBT people and sensitizing public opinion. But in spite of advances, very serious challenges remain,” High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said at the first ministerial meeting held at the United Nations on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals.
Foreign ministers attending the meeting adopted a declaration pledging not just to protect LGBT rights but also to counter homophobic and transphobic attitudes in society at large, including through public education campaigns.
On Thursday, the Secretary-General announced plans to host he first ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in 2013 which will have four themes: first, humanitarian effectiveness; second, reducing vulnerability and managing risk; third, transformation through innovation; and fourth, serving the needs of people in conflict.
President of Bolivia Evo Morales at the #matchUNITE event to raise awareness to end violence against women. Credit: @UNDPLive
Once again, President of Bolivia Evo Morales joined top officials and ambassadors in a football/soccer match to support the Secretary-General’s campaign UNite to End Violence Against Women using SOCCKET—a ball that generates electricity when kicked—calling for innovative solutions to bring sustainable energy for all.
- Recap from UN News Centre
- See hashtag #matchUNITE
- The Security Council adopted its first ever resolution on small arms and light weapons
- At UN, Syrian opposition group told it has key role to play in making peace, averting chaos
- World leaders urge collective push for speedy, political solution to Syria crisis
- Women’s empowerment crucial for post-conflict recovery, peacebuilding
- Efforts in Africa’s Sahel must tackle humanitarian, security needs to ensure peace
- ‘Group of 77’ nations key to shaping post-2015 development agenda, say UN officials
General Assembly quick links
- Official General Assembly website
- UN Webcast: Live coverage of meetings — also includes on-demand videos of past events.
- Follow @UN, @UN_Spokesperson and #UNGA on Twitter (plus more specialized and multilingual accounts).
- Who is speaking when? Check out the lists of speakers in the UN Daily Journal.