The Townhall with the President of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly H.E. Mr. Csaba Kőrösi is organized with support from the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
2 December 2022
10 am - 12 pm EST
Trusteeship Council Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York
The event will be streamed live on UN WebTV and Youtube
The President of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, will share his priorities and perspectives for the 77th Session and civil society engagement during the Civil Society Town Hall Meeting jointly organized by the President of the General Assembly and the Civil Society Unit, UN Department of Global Communications, with support from the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Townhall is moderated by Ms. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.
Participation
In-person participation: If you wish to attend this meeting in-person, please register here. For registered participants who will participate in-person, special events ticket will be distributed on 2 December ahead of the meeting. In-person participants must conform with current guidelines on access to the premises.
If you are planning to participate virtually without a speaking role, you do not have to register as we will webcast the event at UN Web TV.
Speaker application is closed: The President of the General Assembly invites five civil society organizations to deliver a brief keynote statement on their relevant work around one of the five priority themes presented by the President of the General Assembly (see the PGA's Vision Statement here).
Question submission is closed: The President also invites civil society organizations, as well as individuals, to submit your questions for his response during the interactive session.
Please note that the call for submissions and registration is closed.
Programme
Moderator
Melissa Fleming is Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.
From 2009 until August 2019, Ms. Fleming served UNHCR as Head of Global Communications and Spokesperson for the High Commissioner. At UNHCR, she led global media outreach campaigns, social media engagement and a multimedia news service to distribute and place stories designed to generate empathy and stir action for refugees.
Ms. Fleming is a frequent interview guest on international media platforms, and her talks are featured on TED.com. She is author of the book, A Hope More Powerful than the Sea, and host of the award-winning podcast, Awake at Night.
Ms. Fleming joined UNHCR from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), where she served for eight years as Spokesperson and Head of the Media and Outreach. Prior to IAEA, she headed the Press and Public Information team at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Earlier still, she was Public Affairs Specialist at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Munich, having started her career as a journalist. From 2016 to 2017, she also served as Senior Adviser and Spokesperson on the incoming United Nations Secretary General’s Transition Team.
Ms. Fleming holds a Master of Science in Journalism from the College of Communication, Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in German Studies from Oberlin College.
Welcome Remarks
As a career diplomat, I have spent my entire professional life in public service, combining national duties with assignments received from various international communities. I had the privilege to serve as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations and as Head of Mission to Greece and the United Arab Emirates.
In various government service posts for my home country, I was responsible for security policy, multilateral diplomacy and human rights cooperation.
During my tenure in New York, I was honoured to be a co-chair of the intergovernmental process (Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals) tasked with producing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals at its heart.
I am grateful for the experience gained as Vice-President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session.
As Director (State Secretary) of the Office of the President of Hungary, I had the duty and privilege to work alongside the President of the Republic in discharging his functions as a member of the High-level Panel on Water, co-convened by the Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank Group. I performed a similar role in the framework of the Water and Climate Leaders panel, co-convened by the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization and the President of UN-Water.
I am a founding member of the Hungarian Scientific Panel on Climate Change and a permanent invitee to the Presidential Committee on Sustainable Development at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the National Council on Sustainable Development at the Hungarian National Assembly.
Civil Society Solutions Speakers
Solutions through Solidarity
Bethany Brown is the International Disability Alliance’s Human Rights Advisor, working to uphold the standards of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities across all human rights mechanisms in New York, and ensuring participatory approaches representing the diversity of the disability movement and its constituencies. She is a lawyer, and has been an advocate at the United Nations in the fields of human rights, humanitarian aid, and development since 2010. Previously, she started Human Rights Watch’s program of work on older people’s human rights in its Disability Rights Division. Before Human Rights Watch, she was HelpAge USA’s Policy and Advocacy Director, where she carried out research, trainings and advocacy at the United Nations for the rights of older people in low- and middle-income countries. Bethany received her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College of Columbia University, and her Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law.
Solutions through Science
Binod is Secretary General of Confederation of NGOs of Rural India and member of the International Network of Financial Education. Binod is passionate about development of sustainable livelihood solutions for smallholders, particularly tribal and other marginalized groups and have been appointed recently as Member of Committee of MSP and Agri reform, Government of India. With CNRI he is working with various governments and other stakeholders to tackle global hunger and malnutrition, improve the lives of smallholder farmers, and address Sustainable development Goals challenges in GLocal way. Binod also co-founded other non-profits; and co-led WETRI (We think for Rural India) an organization of youths working towards national integration. He is quoted by National Media Very frequently and outside of work, he can be found hiking, listening to audio books, and reflecting on various Learnings from Bhagwat Geeta and other Vedic Philosophical aspects.
Solutions through Sustainability
Member of Visibles Guatemala & the Young Human Rights Defenders Network of OHCHR in Guatemala
Solutions through Youth
An academic, advocate, activist, and defender of children's, indigenous, and environmental rights, Zoë Craig-Sparrow is an Indigenous young woman who has been fighting for equality and justice since she was 12. Zoë has a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of British Columbia, a Master's degree in human rights from the University of London (awarded with distinction) and is currently pursuing her PhD. Zoë’s educational background, lived experience as an Indigenous woman and child activist, and expertise in international human rights has shaped her into an inspirational youth leader on human rights in Canada. Zoë is currently the Director of Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice at Justice for Girls and an Environmental and Indigenous Rights Fellow at the David Suzuki Foundation.
Solutions through Partnerships
Representative of Global Partnerships for the Prevention of Armd Conflict (GPPAC) - Sounth Africa Region
Resources
Biography of President of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Vision Statement of the President of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly