"l will put every effort to serve the UN members, so that the General Assembly continues to carry out its mandate efficiently in the period ahead and take pertinent decisions on global problems and their solutions, while promoting multilateralism and international cooperation" said Bozkır from his twitter account after his election. "Aside from the virus and its impacts, another adversary has been plaguing our response: misinformation and disinformation. During his nine years as Member of Parliament, he served as the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman of Turkey-USA Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Caucus and Co-Chairman of Turkish-Russian Civic Forum. Volkan Bozkır is a career diplomat and a defendant of the Turkish position regarding the Armenian Genocide but also its anti-terror laws. He is the first Turkish citizen to preside over the UN General Assembly. I believe that peace & respect for democratic processes will prevail in our host country at this critical time. UNIFEED Bozkır will take over the Presidency from the incumbent Tijjani Muhammad-Bande in September when the 75th Session will resume. Getty Images Bozkir said Security Council reform is very important not only for member states but also to the United Nations as a whole. It is our solemn duty to engage in constructive dialogue in the pursuit of the noble goals of the United Nations: the universal achievement of … He is also a Turkish diplomat. Wearing facemasks and practicing physical distancing, ambassadors from UN Member States filed into the iconic but empty General Assembly Hall to cast their ballots during pre-determined time slots: an added layer of protection in the COVID-19 era. In July 2018, he was elected for the fourth time as the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. He is married, with two children and three granddaughters. Bozkır is the first Turkish national who has become the President of the General Assembly. He speaks fluent English and French. UN News produces daily news content in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, and weekly programmes in Hindi, Urdu and Bangla. In a secret ballot vote Bozkir, who was unopposed for the post, received 178 ballots in support as 11 nations abstained, Anadolu Agency reported. UNITED NATIONS -- UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir on Wednesday called for joint efforts to fight misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19. Addressing reporters at the UN's New York City headquarters, Stephane Dujarric said Guterres, 71, informed Volkan Bozkir, the Turkish diplomat serving … Yıldız Kule, Yukarı Dikmen Mahallesi, Turan Güneş Bulvarı, No:106, 06550, Çankaya, Ankara Türkiye, © Copyright 2021 United Nations in Turkey, A journey of stories told by refugee and local women: Light the Dark Photography Exhibition goes online, Guterres urges world to ‘work together in solidarity’ as US moves to re-join WHO, As COVID deaths pass two million worldwide, Guterres warns against self-defeating ‘vaccinationalism', The Sustainable Development Goals in Turkey, Volkan Bozkır elected President of 75th Session of the UNGA. UNITED NATIONS: The Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on UN Security Council reform process will resume later this month, President of the General Assembly Volkan Bozkir has said, asserting that UNSC membership as well as its working methods … COVID-19 is a communications crisis. UNITED NATIONS: UN Security Council's membership and its working methods must reflect the realities of the 21st century and reform of the 15-nation body is very important for the United Nations, according to the new President of the 75th session of the General Assembly. [8][9] Armenia, Greece and Cyprus, while initially supportive, decided later to oppose the candidacy, allegedly due to diplomatic conflicts. Volkan Bozkır (born 22 November 1950) is a Turkish diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of European Union Affairs from November 2015 to May 2016, having previously served from August 2014 to August 2015. Following his almost 40 years of foreign service, Bozkir received 178 of the votes in a secret ballot. On June 17, Volkan Bozkir was elected head of the UNGA by an overwhelming majority of 178 out of the 192 voting UN member states, after a secret election process. Volkan Bozkir, who assumed charge as General Assembly President on Tuesday, told reporters that the Security Council … H.E Volkan Bozkir 75th President of UN General Assembly at United Nations New York, New York, United States 23 connections While being the Turkish Minister for the European Union (EU) and also the leading negotiator in the Turkish accession talks to the EU denied there existed an Armenian Genocide. Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir said that when he assumed the presidentship of the 193-member UNGA, since September 2020, he has held negotiations … [14] Bozkır's comments during the press conference included "Each time I look at the Austrian who won the Eurovision Song Contest, I say ‘Thankfully, we’re not participating in this contest anymore. He concurrently served as the Chief Negotiator for Turkish Accession to the European Union during the same time. Volkan Bozkir of Turkey was elected in June 2020 to serve as the President of the 75 th session of the United Nations General Assembly which runs from September 2020 to September 2021. Bozkır opposed the demand stating the anti terror laws regulations are already in line with the EU demands. Bozkır has been elected from the Western European and Others Group (WEOG), in strict compliance of the established principle of geographical rotation and General Assembly resolution 33/138 of 19 December 1978. SOUNDBITE (English) Volkan Bozkir, Candidate for President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly: “The guiding principles of my presidency will be efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, and non-discrimination. The exact result was 178 votes, 11 abstentions and 3 invalid ballots, probably attributed to Armenia, Cyprus and Greece. Welcoming announcement by by US to re-join WHO, Secretary General said supporting WHO is "absolutely critical” for a better coordinated response to COVID-19. New York [USA], June 18 (ANI): The UN General Assembly on Wednesday elected Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir to be its president ahead of the 75th General Debate in September. Volkan Bozkır (born 22 November 1950) is a Turkish diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of European Union Affairs from November 2015 to May 2016, having previously served from August 2014 to August 2015. “I am proud on behalf of my country, nation and person. [3] Also in 2015, he criticized Pope Franciscus for including the term Genocide in a sermon he held in a mass at the basilica of St.Peters in Rome. Bozkir on Thursday called for UN leadership and multilateralism in the fight against COVID-19. He was elected as the president of The United Nations General Assembly on 17 June 2020 for the 75th session,[1][2] becoming the first-ever Turkish diplomat to hold this position. '"[15], the president of The United Nations General Assembly for the 75th session, President of the 75th UN General Assembly, Chief Negotiator for Turkish Accession to the European Union, president of the 75th General Assembly of the United Nations, http://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-123_-be-volkan-bozkir-in-bm-gk-baskani-secilmesi-hk.en.mfa#:~:text=Ambassador%20Volkan%20Bozk%C4%B1r%2C%20Former%20Minister,the%20United%20Nations%20General%20Assembly, https://www.un.org/en/ga/#:~:text=Mr.%20Volkan%20Bozkir%20will%20preside,in%20an%20online%20press%20kit, "Reaction from Bozkır to EP's Turkey Report", "Turkey's EU Minister rejects Pope's 'genocide' remark", "Turkey digs in heels over terrorism law, to EU's chagrin", "Parliament wants to suspend EU accession negotiations with Turkey | News | European Parliament", "Turkey blasts European Parliament over call to suspend EU accession talks – T-VINE", "Turkish diplomat elected President of historic 75th UN General Assembly", "ELECTION OF THE 75TH PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY", "Greece, Cyprus & Armenia make historical move by blocking Turkey from leading UN General Assembly", "Minister for EU Affairs & Chief Negotiator Volkan BOZKIR", "Turkey: "Will No Longer Participate" In Eurovision", "Turkey: TRT confirms no return to Eurovision in 2015", "Turkey to return to Eurovision song contest in 2016: state TV", President of the United Nations General Assembly, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Volkan_Bozkır&oldid=1001772488, Justice and Development Party (Turkey) politicians, Ambassadors of Turkey to the European Union, Recipients of the Order of the Star of Romania, Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Ministers of European Union Affairs of Turkey, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Permanent Delegation to the OECD in Paris, Chief of Cabinet & Chief Foreign Policy Advisor, Permanent Representative of Turkey to the European Union, United Nations headquarters in New York City. He graduated from Faculty of Law at the Ankara University. "As we begin the New Year, I call on all people of the world to continue to work together to end the COVID-19 pandemic," the UNGA president said in his video message for the new year, Xinhua news agency reported. Volkan Bozkir was elected President of the forthcoming session of the UN General Assembly in a vote held on June 17 that was emblematic of its time. He speaks fluent English and French. Bozkir is the first Turk to head the General Assembly. He has served as a Member of Parliament for İstanbul's second electoral district since the 2011 general election. Following his graduation, he joined the foreign service in 1972. Agence France-Presse Posted at Nov 17 2020 10:33 AM UN General Assembly president Volkan Bozkir said Monday the Security Council was failing to respond to the world's biggest challenges due to "competing interests." US, Iran beef up military activity in Gulf ahead of Soleimani's first death anniversary He served as the Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Turgut Özal, Chief of Cabinet and Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to President Turgut Özal and President Süleyman Demirel, Deputy Secretary General for EU Affairs, Deputy Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for EU Affairs, and Secretary General for EU Affairs. The Order of Merit is the highest ranking honour of the Republic of Italy. Volkan Bozkır was awarded the Order of the Star of Romania and the Order of the Merit of the Italian Republic at the “Knight” rank, and the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. I will work with an international team, … [4] As the EU demanded that Turkey adapts its anti-terror regulations according to EU normatives. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the media during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas after a … 22 Jan 2021 - “This International Day of Education and Lifelong Learning is like no other, as we contend with the greatest disruption to education in the history of the United Nations. UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir speaks at a UN General Assembly special session in response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the UN headquarters in New York, on Dec. 3, 2020. [7], On the 17 June 2020, he was elected as the president of the 75th General Assembly of the United Nations, which is to take place September 2020 as the sole candidate with unanimous support from the 178 UN member states that were present in voting that was conducted by secret ballot. Volkan Bozkır was born in Ankara, Turkey. Volkan Bozkır is a Turkish politician. This page was last edited on 21 January 2021, at 07:19. Genel Sekreter António Guterres (sağda) Volkan Bozkır ile birlikte. Volkan Bozkır, a veteran diplomat and parliamentarian was elected as the President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on June 17. He concurrently served as the Chief Negotiator for Turkish Accession to the European Union during the same time. The vote at the UN General Assembly was emblematic of its time. He has held several positions during his 39-years professional career, including Vice Consul of the Consulate General in Stuttgart, First Secretary of the Embassy in Baghdad, Counsellor of the Permanent Representation to the OECD, Consul General in New York, Ambassador in Bucharest, Permanent Representative of Turkey to the EU. While the zombies the UN lets in to ask question didn't make the connection, back in May 2020 Inner City Press exclusively reported that "Volkan Bozkir is best known for saying, after "drag queen" Conchita Wurst's Eurovision win, "Thank God we no longer participate in Eurovision." Former Turkish ambassador and politician, Volkan Bozkir, was elected as the first Turkish president of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, three months ahead of the 75th General Debate.. Volkan Bozkır officially assumes UNGA presidency, becomes first Turk to head the General Assembly Turkish Ambassador Volkan Bozkır officially assumed the presidency of UN General Assembly on Sept. 15 for its 75th session. He also chairs the Turkey-Australia Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group. [12][13] On September 5 the General Manager of TRT, İbrahim Şahin, officially announced that Turkey would not return to Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna. With more than two million lives now lost worldwide to COVID-19, the UN Secretary-General appealed on Friday for countries to work together and help each other. Ambassador Volkan Bozkır was elected as Member of Parliament first in 2011 and then, in the following three parliamentary elections. It is not simply a pandemic. Volkan Bozkır, a veteran diplomat and parliamentarian was elected as the President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on June 17. Turkish Ambassador Volkan Bozkir officially assumed the presidency of UN General Assembly on Tuesday for its 75th session. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the General Assembly sends a message on the International Day of Education and Lifelong Learning . The election of the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and respective twenty-one Vice-President, occurs at least three months before the opening of the Session over which they are to preside, in accordance with Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly. Additionally, the president of the General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, tweeted on Jan. 6 that he was “ saddened & concerned by today’s developments at the Capitol in #WashingtonDC.The US is one of the world’s major democracies. UN Women's Light the Dark Exhibition features works of more than 100 refugee and local women. He was appointed as the Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator in August 2014 and remained in the office until June 2016. [10], Bozkır caused controversy in 2014 when he reported during a press conference that Turkey would no longer participate in the Eurovision Song Contest after Conchita Wurst's victory in Eurovision Song Contest 2014. The United Nations General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir also condemned the terrorist attack on Hazaras people and extended condolences to the families of killed miners and the government of Pakistan. ... — Volkan BOZKIR (@volkan_bozkir) January 4, 2021. Our multimedia service, through this new integrated single platform, updates throughout the day, in text, audio and video – also making use of quality images and other media from across the UN system. [5] As the EU Parliament voted for the accession talks to be suspended in march 2019,[6] Bozkır, as the head of committee for foreign affairs in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey condemned the vote. Volkan Bozkır studied law at Ankara University. Turkish candidate for President of the UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, said the General Assembly is the most appropriate platform to provide political guidance in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed that the world will “outlive this menace” and come out stronger. While the zombies the UN lets in to ask question didn't make the connection, back in May 2020 Inner City Press exclusively reported that "Volkan Bozkir is best known for saying, after "drag queen" Conchita Wurst's Eurovision win, "Thank God we no longer participate in Eurovision." I will work to exhibit an effective and distinctive Presidency,” Bozkir wrote on Twitter. Volkan Bozkir, president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), on Tuesday called on all people to continue to work together to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Bozkir was the sole candidate for the position. The UN General Assembly on Wednesday elected Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir to be its president ahead of the 75th General Debate in September. After the EU issued a draft for the Turkey progress report in 2015 including a demand that Turkey accepts that there existed an Armenian Genocide he declared that Turkey wouldn't answer a EU report containing the term Genocide. , 2021 to the European Union during the same time my country, nation and person İstanbul 's second district. In the fight against COVID-19 country at this critical time fight misinformation disinformation. At this critical time Ankara University has become the President of the 75th will! 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