On the second and final day of preliminary hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel’s legal team insisted that the twin military objectives were to eradicate the existential threat posed by Hamas militants and to free some 136 hostages still held in the war-shattered enclave. “Israel is in...
12:58 PM End ‘flagrant injustice’ of Israeli occupation: Jordan Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs for Jordan, underscored that ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine is the viable way to ensure peace for Palestinians, Israelis and all others in the region. “Those who purport to say...
Philippe Lazzarini was addressing an emergency summit convened by the League of Arab States and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation where he called for urgent support for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on three fronts. He called on leaders at the Arab-Islamic summit to “act now to change the trajectory”...
Echoing his remarks with French President Emmanuel Macron looking on, the head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, stressed the “heart-breaking” plight of children in the territory, whom he saw last week “pleading for a piece of bread and a sip of water”. Mass displacement has...
UN News is winding down our live coverage of today’s events in the Council. For full blow by blow coverage of the debate so far and the dozens of speakers to come on the Israel-Palestine crisis, you can visit our special UN Meetings Coverage Section, here. Indonesia Retno Marsudi, Minister...
According to findings from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 130 million students worldwide experience bullying, which has been exacerbated by the spread of digital technologies. UNICEF estimates that one in every three students from 13 to 15 is a victim. Suicide risk The Council heard heartfelt testimony from 15-year-old Santa...
Real reform of the UN is vital to ensure an effective multilateral system, said Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, as he argued for “a return to listening and dialogue” to solve conflicts and lessen the suffering of humanity. “Any reform of the United Nations must not be...
“Come rain or shine, we’re here because we are committed to our planet”, said Amina Mohammed, addressing the Global Citizen Festival, against the backdrop of the UN General Assembly High Level Week, taking place down the road. All to play for at halftime She highlighted the race to reach the...
Addressing the Assembly’s annual general debate, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, said, “the world cannot afford Cold War 2.0,” because there are a raft of challenges facing humankind that can only be addressed through global cooperation. Multiple shocks Indeed, a series of external “shocks” – COVID-19, climate change and conflict – have devastated...
“I hope they will soon, because if not, it will be another missed opportunity to help the Syrian conflict to come to a negotiated end, at a time when the impact of the crisis is deepening,” Geir Pedersen said, briefing the Security Council. While there had been positive humanitarian gestures...
With 360 million people worldwide in need of humanitarian assistance, up 30 percent since early 2022, global humanitarian needs have yet again reached record levels. In a video message to the Humanitarian Affairs Segment, a platform created by the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to find solutions to pressing humanitarian...
“On the eve of the horrific one-year milestone, we have a lot to do and we can do better,” said Martin Griffiths, who also serves as the Emergency Relief Coordinator. The tragedy continues to unfold “We have warned about the toxic brew of death, destruction, displacement, and deprivation that this...