Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini made an impassioned plea to protect the UN agency for Palestine refugees at the General Assembly’s meeting on UNRWA’s fate days after Israel informed the world body of new laws to ban it as bombings and displacement continued on Wednesday across Gaza and Lebanon, with UN officials...
In a speech delivered during a debate on African development, Assembly President Philémon Yang addressed the continent’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s (AU) related framework, known as Agenda 2063. “There has never been a better time to accelerate progress towards peace, prosperity and sustainable...
The situation is critical, said UN General Assembly President Philémon Yang, who convened the high-level meeting. He noted that estimates indicate up to 1.2 billion people could be forcibly displaced. “For those on the front lines, the impacts of rising seas threaten livelihoods, inflict damage to settlements and critical infrastructure, and...
With war raging in Sudan and no end in sight to the catastrophic hunger crisis it has created, UN agencies and Member States meeting at the General Assembly in New York on Wednesday prepared to issue a renewed call for urgent action to protect the country’s people....
Emphasizing the urgent need for collective action to address pressing global issues, Mr. Yang highlighted the critical state of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that with only five years remaining until the globally agreed 2030 deadline, less than 17 per cent of the targets are on track. He...
Ambassadors in the UN General Assembly again discussed on Monday the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and the critical work of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, which is facing an existential threat, hearing a briefing by its Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, and holding a heated debate on the US...
Secretary-General António Guterres said the past year had been marked by ongoing poverty, inequality and conflict, emphasizing that it was also the hottest year on record. Addressing the session’s final plenary meeting, he highlighted the “hope and inspiration” in what can be achieved if the global community worked as one....
Assembly Vice President Cheikh Niang of Senegal, holding the gavel in the General Assembly Hall and deputizing for President Dennis Francis, read out a statement on his behalf. General Assembly Vice President Cheikh Niang chairs the Emergency Special Session meets on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian...
In actions taken late evening on Friday, the 193-member General Assembly also adopted nearly $50 million in additional funding for decisions taken by the Human Rights Council, UN’s primary forum on human rights matters. It also decided to establish the Peacebuilding Account, a dedicated multi-year special account, as a modality...
Dennis Francis, a veteran diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago, said he had returned from a visit to Haiti at the end of last month “with hope and the full knowledge that while Haiti is facing extraordinary challenges, its future holds indomitable promise.” The country has seen almost 4,000 killed and...
Video of the Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly. Member States adopted a resolution, demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and well as “ensuring humanitarian access”. It passed with a large majority of 153 in favour and 10 against, with 23 abstentions...
This follows the adoption on Tuesday of a resolution that calls for a cessation of hostilities starting seven days before the opening of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and ending seven days after they conclude. The General Assembly comprises all 193 UN Member States, with 120 voting on the resolution. ...