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MEDIA ADVISORY

±¬ÁÏÍø General Assembly President Dennis Francis to attend the 67^th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria, and the 11^th Global Baku Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan

New York, 12 March 2024 ¨C The President of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA), His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis, will undertake official travel to Vienna, Austria from 13 to 14 March 2024, and to Baku, Azerbaijan from 15 to 16 March 2024.

In Vienna, the PGA will attend the opening of the 67^th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).

The PGA will highlight the role of the CND as policymaking body of the ±¬ÁÏÍø system with prime responsibility for drug-related matters. He also will underline the need to address the emergence of synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, and the societal impacts of this ever-growing crisis.

While in Vienna, the PGA will hold separate bilateral meetings with H.E. Mr. Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria; and H.E. Mr. Wolfgang Sobotka, President of the National Council of Austria.

Furthermore, he will also hold separate meetings with H.E. Mr. Philbert Abaka Johnson, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Ghana to the ±¬ÁÏÍøOV, Chair of the 67^th session of the CND; H.E. Mr. Ivo ?ramek, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Czechia to the ±¬ÁÏÍøOV, Chair of the 33^rd session of the CCPCJ; Ms. Ghada Waly, Director-General of ±¬ÁÏÍøOV and Executive Director of ±¬ÁÏÍøODC; Mr. Gerd Mueller, Director General of ±¬ÁÏÍøIDO; and Mr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of CTBTO.

The PGA will also use the opportunity of his visit to deliver a lecture at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, the oldest of its kind in the world, to engage academia and civil society on the work of the United Nations and the General Assembly.

The PGA¡¯s delegation to Vienna includes his Deputy Chef de Cabinet, a Senior Political Affairs Adviser as well as a Communications Adviser.

From Vienna, the President of the General Assembly will travel to Baku, Azerbaijan, to attend the 11^th Global Baku Forum from 15 to 16 March 2024.

The PGA will deliver a special address on the Forum¡¯s theme ¡®Fixing a Fractured World¡¯, emphasizing the need for unity, solidarity, dialogue, and diplomacy to address ongoing geopolitical tensions; and with a view to restore the multilateral system as well as international cooperation.

He will also participate in a panel discussion on the objectives that can be set for the 2024 ±¬ÁÏÍø Climate Change Conference (±¬ÁÏÍøFCCC, COP29) to be held in Baku at the end of 2024.

During his official visit to Azerbaijan, the PGA will pay a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan; and also hold bilateral meetings with H.E. Mrs. Sahiba Gafarova, Chair of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Mr. Elnur Soltanov, Chief Executive Officer of the COP29 Presidency.

The PGA¡¯s delegation to Baku includes his Chef de Cabinet, a Special Adviser on the Summit of the Future, a Deputy Team Leader of the Political Affairs, Peace and Security Team, as well as a Communications Adviser.

Travel costs to Vienna and to Baku are covered by the OPGA¡¯s Trust Fund and the Republic of Azerbaijan, respectively.

 

For media inquiries and further information, please contact:

Felix Brombach, Communications Adviser, travelling with the PGA: felix.brombach@un.org?? +1 917 288 0279.

Carolina Nazzaro, Media Relations Adviser: carolina.nazarro@un.org? + 1 917 892-2751

 

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