Bi-Weekly Press Briefing 03 January 2023

Press Conferences | ITU , WHO

Bi-Weekly Press Briefing 03 January 2023

PRESS BRIEFING BY THE UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE

3 January 2023

Messages

Ms. Vellucci wished happy New Year to all participants and read excerpts of the New Year’s message from the Secretary General: “Ever new year is a moment of rebirth. We sweep out the ashes of the new year… In 2023 we need peace now more than ever… In 2023 let’s put peace at the heart of our words and actions. Together, let’s make 2023 a year when peace is restored to our lives, our homes, and our world.”

Pakistan

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said the International Conference on Climate Resilience in Pakistan would take place next Monday January 9 at the Palais des Nations. The Conference would be co-hosted by the Government of Pakistan and the United Nations, and would bring together governments, leaders from the public and private sector, and civil society, to support the people and government of Pakistan after the devastating floods in 2022.

It had two main objectives:

  1. To present the Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework, which laid out a multisectoral strategy for rehabilitation and reconstruction in a climate-resilient and inclusive manner

  2. To secure international support and forge long-term partnerships for building Pakistan’s climate resilience and adaptation.

A curtain raiser briefing with representatives of UNDP and the government of Pakistan would be organised on 5 January at 2:30 pm, with details to be provided soon.

Covid-19

Responding to questions on Covid-19, Tarik Jasarevic, for the World Health Organisation, said the technical advisory group on virus evolution was meeting today. This was a regular meeting of experts who would help WHO assess the risk of evolution of the virus. Chinese colleagues were expected to participate and the meeting would take place around noon, with the advice received to be made public.

ITU New Senior Leadership Team

David Hirsch, for the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), said the new senior leadership team of the ITU took office on 1 January 2023. Doreen Bogdan-Martin became ITU's 12th Secretary-General since it was designated a UN specialized agency in 1947. She was also the first woman to head the organization since its establishment in 1865

Member States elected Bogdan-Martin as Secretary-General in September 2022 at ITU's Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) in Bucharest, Romania. She came to the post from ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau, where she had served as director since 2019.

ITU was unique as it had five elected officials: Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, Director of ITU's Radiocommunication Bureau, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. All five senior officials were elected to four-year terms. ITU noted and appreciated the interest the press corps had in talking to the new ITU Secretary-General and was working with her office to schedule a date.

Complete information on ITU’s new senior leadership team could be found on the ITU website: www.itu.int. Media inquiries could be found at: pressinfo@itu.int

Documents 1
Download Storyline
Download

Similar Stories

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 28 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | IFRC , OCHA , OHCHR , UNCTAD , UNHCR , UNOG , WHO , WMO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 28 October 2025 ENG FRA

Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the World Meteorological Organization, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

UNEP Press conference: Minamata Convention on Mercury - COP6 - 27 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | UNEP

UNEP Press conference: Minamata Convention on Mercury - COP6 - 27 October 2025 ENG FRA

UNEP Press conference: Minamata Convention on Mercury COP6 

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 24 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | WHO , WMO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 24 October 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Organization.

UNCTAD Press conference: Launch of the Sevilla Forum on Debt - 22 October 2025

1

5

1

1

Press Conferences | UNCTAD

UNCTAD Press conference: Launch of the Sevilla Forum on Debt - 22 October 2025 ENG FRA

Press conference on the launch of the Sevilla Forum on Debt, on the margins of the sixteenth United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16). 

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 21 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | UNFPA , WFP , WHO , OCHA , WMO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 21 October 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director, United Nations Information Service Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Populations Fund, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Organization.

UNCTAD 16 Rebeca Grynspan Stake Out - 20 October 2025

1

1

1

Statements , Press Conferences | UNCTAD

UNCTAD 16 Rebeca Grynspan Stake Out - 20 October 2025 ENG FRA

Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of UN trade and development (UNCTAD) briefs the media following the opening of the 16th Conference of the United Nations on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) in Geneva.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 17 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | UNCTAD , WMO , WFP , UN WOMEN , WHO , OCHA

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 17 October 2025 ENG FRA

Rolando Gómez, Chief of Section, Public Information, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the World Food Programme, UN Women, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Meteorological Organization.

WMO Press Conference: Greenhouse Gas Bulletin - 15 October 2025

1

2

1

Press Conferences | WMO

WMO Press Conference: Greenhouse Gas Bulletin - 15 October 2025 ENG FRA

WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 14 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | WMO , UNICEF , UNDP , ICRC , WHO , OCHA

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 14 October 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Meteorological Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

UNCTAD Press Conference: UNCTAD 16 - 13 October

2

5

1

2

Press Conferences | UNCTAD

UNCTAD Press Conference: UNCTAD 16 - 13 October ENG FRA

UNCTAD / 16TH CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT

As the global economy undergoes tectonic shifts in trade, finance and technology, global economic and development leaders will gather in Geneva this month to chart a path through mounting uncertainty and fragmentation. Ahead of the 16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16), Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan outlines how countries can navigate record debt, disrupted supply chains, volatile investment flows and accelerating digital transformation. UNCTAD / UNTV CH

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 10 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | IFRC , UN WOMEN , UNHCR , UNICEF , UNRWA , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 10 October 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the World Health Organization.