“As you have heard many times by now, today’s Iraq is not the same as the Iraq of 20 years ago, or even five years ago. Iraq today is more secure, stable and open, despite the many obstacles facing the country,” Mohamed Al Hassan said in his first briefing to...
A Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) volunteer was among multiple civilians killed in the incident, OCHA said in a news release. The attack also damaged several SARC ambulances and other humanitarian objects and left two bridges impassable. “As a result, all humanitarian operations at border crossings [between Syria and Lebanon]...
The source of the hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of funds that developing nations say will be needed to adapt to a fast-changing climate – governments, multilateral banks, or the private sector – has become a major subject of contention during the last eight days. The good, the bad...
António Guterres was speaking to reporters on the eve of the opening of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in the Brazilian city. ‘A simple message’ “I have come to Rio with a simple message: G20 leaders must lead,” he said. “G20 countries – by definition – have tremendous economic clout. They...
At the same time, Israel’s brutal aggression against Gaza and its current attacks on the West Bank place shame on international institutions, which are unable to put an end to these aggressions. Condemning Israel’s escalation and its attacks on Lebanon, which are “pushing the region into the abyss”, he said...
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...
Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, said that while some nations have made significant democratic strides, others have been subject to military takeovers, posing wider threats to regional stability. The presidential election in Liberia and the peaceful transfer of power was...
It details how systemic racism, marginalization and exclusion, rooted in the legacies of enslavement and colonialism, continue to have a negative effect on all aspects of life. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged States to “accelerate action towards meaningful, inclusive and safe participation for people of African...
Speaking in Kyiv, Commission Chair Erik Møse pointed to continuing patterns of violations by Russian armed forces, including wilful killings, unlawful confinement, torture, rape, and illegal deportations, many of which qualify as war crimes. According to the Commission, the Ukrainian legal system faced “immense challenges” to provide accountability and justice...
Addressing the BRICS Summit, taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, Secretary-General António Guterres commended the Rainbow Nation’s “extraordinary path to unity through action and justice.” “That’s what our world needs: unity for action and unity for justice; we are confronting existential challenges,” he said, drawing attention to worsening impacts of...
In his first briefing to the Security Council since being appointed to the position, Leonardo Santos Simaõ recalled elections in Benin, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. He said they had “marked important steps towards democratic consolidation, offering opportunities for citizens to choose their leaders and representatives at...
Corinna Hawkes the Director of the FAO Division of Food Systems and Food Safety says a holistic and sustainable approach is needed that considers economic, social, and environmental factors, and that brings people together, to ensure nutritious food and sustainable livelihoods for all. She was speaking ahead of the UN Food...