“A window has opened paving the way for a new era of institutional stability, a State fully able to protect its citizens, and a system that would allow the tremendous potential of the Lebanese people to flourish,” Mr. Guterres told reporters in Beirut. The UN chief met with newly elected...
Around 90 per cent of the population across the Gaza Strip have been displaced from their homes, forced to move to avoid Israeli military operations. Many have been displaced repeatedly, some 10 times or more. Much of Gaza is rubble, while Israeli airstrikes and military operations have damaged or destroyed around 60 per...
In his briefing, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen underscored the delicate nature of the transitional phase, describing it as a moment of “great opportunities and real dangers.” He urged careful navigation to ensure that decisions taken now lead to long-term stability. The humanitarian situation remains critical, with nearly...
The world remains dangerously unprepared for the next pandemic, despite the harrowing lessons of COVID-19, Mr. Guterres warned. “COVID-19 was a wake-up call to the world,” he stated, reflecting on the devastating human, economic and social toll of the pandemic. “The crisis may have passed, but a harsh lesson remains:...
On Boxing Day – 26 December 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, unleashing a massive tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean. Waves as high as 51 meters (167 feet) inundated communities in Aceh, Indonesia, with flooding extending up to five kilometres (three miles) inland. The...
“It’s early days,” Geir Pedersen said referring to the dramatic events of less than two weeks ago that ended decades of dictatorship. “But I think it is important to say that there is a lot of hope that we can now see the beginning of a new Syria.” He emphasised...
In a message marking Sunday’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, António Guterres highlighted the severe impact of disasters on children. “When disasters strike, they unleash enormous devastation on individuals, societies and economies. The ripple effects of death, destruction and displacement are unimaginable. Today, disasters are often supercharged by the...
“I get up at 4 am in harvesting season to pick the red berries which are taken to the processing plant,” 22-year-old Phuperp told the United Nations. Phuperp comes from a family of farmers which grows corn, rice, and legumes and pumpkins, but her favourite crop is coffee. It can be...
The High-Level Meeting was held to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, observed annually on 26 September. “There should be no place for these devices of death in our world,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Nuclear ‘spectre’ looming He warned, however, that “not since the...
These were just some of the chilling observations and testimony from Afghan women, together with supporters from around the world, who convened at UN Headquarters on Monday to discuss inclusion and women’s rights going forward. “Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to include women in all matters concerning Afghanistan’s future...
The Pact along with its annexes, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, was adopted by consensus, despite a last-minute proposal for an amendment by some countries, including Russia, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Syria. The amendment sought to incorporate text calling for...
World leaders are at UN Headquarters in New York this Sunday where world leaders have just adopted the Pact for the Future by consensus – with a small group of just seven countries holding out, having failed to pass a last-minute amendment. The centrepiece of the Summit of the Future...