The UN General Assembly ministerial week will continue today, with a busy agenda for the high-level EU delegation and the intervention of the European Council President Donald Tusk on behalf of the European Union at the General Debate.
On Tuesday, the 71st General Assembly was officially opened and all EU representatives had a series of events in the sidelines, starting with the Leader’s summit on refugees organised by US President Obama.
First Vice-President Frans Timmermans addressed the high-level event marking the one year anniversary of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals. He reiterated the European Union’s strong commitment to implement Agenda 2030 and achieving the Goals.
High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini focus was very much on the crises in our immediate neighbourhood, in particular the situation in Syria and Libya. She participated in the ministerial meeting of the International Syria Support Group and met with the Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Mustafa al-Serraj and Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala; she also met with UN Secretary General’s Special Representative Martin Kobler. She also met, together with First Vice-President Timmermans, the President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos to discuss the Colombian peace agreement.
Vice-President Kristalina Georgieva addressed the Concordia Summit event on the future of the EU, where she underlined that the strength of the EU lies in competitiveness and the need to strengthen it. Besides several bilateral meetings, including with HR/VP Mogherini and the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Izetbegovic, Commissioner Johannes Hahn addressed the private sector forum on migration and refugees.
Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos addressed the panel on challenges caused by refugees and migrants at the presentation of the 2016 edition of the OECD international migration outlook. The Commissioner highlighted the need for a new generation of effective migration policies, in line with the new report.
Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis addressed the high-level event of the Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth on the occasion of the launch of the report on health workforce. The Commissioner reaffirmed that health should be seen as an investment and not as a cost. Commissioner
Christos Stylianides had several bilateral meetings, including with World Food Programme Executive Director Ertharin Cousin.
