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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF LIVING TOGETHER IN PEACE OBSERVED FOR THE FIRST TIME

• Today is the .
• The General Assembly held an informal meeting this morning to commemorate the day.
• This is the first time this day is being observed since it was declared last December.
• The President¡¯s remarks were delivered by the Permanent Representative of Ghana, who serves as one of the General Assembly¡¯s Vice Presidents.
• The President said, ¡°We are seeing signs of growing intolerance. We are hearing more and more calls for exclusion¡­We are seeing hatred crowd out humanity. And that is why we need to support this International Day¡­ now more than ever.¡±

PRESIDENT TO OPEN STRATEGIC FORUM IN SLOVAKIA

• The President is currently in Slovakia.
• Tomorrow he will open and participate in the GLOBSEC 2018 Bratislava Forum, a prominent strategic gathering that brings together international Government officials, academics and civil society, including the private sector.
• He will also hold bilateral meetings with a wide range of interlocutors.

MEMBER STATES DISCUSS STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CO±¬ÁÏÍøCIL

• The Permanent Representatives of Iceland and Qatar, who are the co-facilitators for strengthening the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), are holding informal consultations today at 3:00 p.m. in the ECOSOC Chamber.
• This process is an opportunity for Member States to strengthen ECOSOC¡¯s role in supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda — and to enhance the Council¡¯s ability to help integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development.

ASSEMBLY TO HEAR FROM SECRETARY-GENERAL ON MANAGEMENT REFORM

• The Spokesperson was asked for background information on a forthcoming briefing by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly on management reform.
• The Spokesperson later informed the journalist that the President of the General Assembly would convene an informal meeting of the plenary for a briefing on management reform on 22 May at the request of the Secretary-General.
• The briefing was in line with the Secretary-General¡¯s commitment to engage with Member States on his reform initiatives, and the President¡¯s commitment to facilitate such engagement for transparency and inclusivity.
• The Spokesperson added that the — entitled ¡°Shifting the management paradigm in the United Nations: implementing a new management architecture for improved effectiveness and strengthened accountability¡± — would be considered by the Fifth Committee during its second resumed session, as it was the Main Committee of the General Assembly responsible for administrative and budgetary matters.