General Assembly President Elect Outlines Priorities

15 June 2010: At a press conference held at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 15 June 2010, the General Assembly President elect for the 65th session, Joseph Deiss ( Switzerland), outlined the priorities of his tenure, including human rights, the environment and environmental governance, as well as the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He called for increased efforts towards the achievement of a green economy, stressing its link to climate change, forests and freshwater. He highlighted global governance, with a particular focus on the environmental element, and said the General Assembly should work to establish connections with new groups, including the Group of 20. Responding to a question about his other priorities, he said that issues such as poverty, food security, climate change and biodiversity should be addressed. [Greening the Blue Press Release]