The Human Rights Council will hold its seventeenth regular session from 30 May to 17 June at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. On the morning of Monday, 30 May, the Council will hear an update by Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to be followed by a general debate.…

Today, the Director-General met with Mr. William Lacy Swing, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Among issues discussed were the ongoing cooperation between the United Nations and IOM on international migration issues, and the role of IOM in supporting…

At a Town Hall Meeting held today with UNOG staff, the Director-General highlighted his major priorities as Personal Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNOG, among which included raising the profile of Geneva as a multilateral hub. He also discussed the role of UNOG in…

The Director-General met today with the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Mr. Anders B. Johnsson. Discussions included the ongoing cooperation between the United Nations and the IPU in support of democratization, and the role of parliamentarians in relation to the…

Corinne Momal-Vanian, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also attended by Spokespersons for and Representatives of the World Meteorological Organization, the UN Environment Programme, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the…

The exhibition “Gagarin: The 50th Anniversary of the First Manned Mission to Space” was opened today by the Director-General at the Palais de Nations (Mezzanine of the E Building). He noted that Gagarin’s flight to space was not only inspirational, but represented a breakthrough for all…

The Director-General addressed the Conference on Disarmament today for the first time in his new role as Secretary-General of the Conference and Personal Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to the Conference. He spoke of the implications of the continuous deadlock of the…

Today, the Director-General met with Mr. Ahmet Üzümcü, the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Among issues discussed were the positive impact of the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as initiatives being taken to resolve the current…

Issues Conclusions on Reports of Turkey, the Republic of Moldova, Germany, Yemen and the Russian Federation The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights concluded its forty-sixth session today, after issuing its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Turkey, the…

Corinne Momal-Vanian, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also attended by Spokespersons for and Representatives of the Conference on Trade and Development, the World Trade Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the United…