Strengthening accountability and justice for serious violations of international law, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, was the focus of debate in the UN Security Council on Thursday.
Strengthening accountability and justice for serious violations of international law, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, was the focus of debate in the UN Security Council on Thursday.
A truce between the Government in Yemen and Houthi rebels has been renewed for an additional two months, UN Special Envoy for the country Hans Grundberg announced on Thursday.
Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned a deadly attack on Wednesday against a UN Peacekeeping logistics convoy near the town of Kidal in northern Mali.
Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine is causing immense suffering and devastation there, but also creating a “perfect storm” which could devastate the economies of “many developing countries”, the UN chief warned on Wednesday.
In Ukraine, nearly 100 days since the Russian invasion, at least two children have been killed every day with many more injured, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday, the International Day for Protection of Children.
The recent resurgence of the M23 armed group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) constitutes a serious threat to peace, security and stability in the region, and urgent action towards curbing the violence is needed, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Tuesday.
A young Cambodian woman says it is her dream to help remove all land mines from the south of Lebanon and improve living conditions for all people living under the threat of death or injury.
The Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), UN Representative Cihan Sultanoğlu, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Viorel Moșanu, and EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar are currently undertaking a round of consultations with all GID participants starting on 30 May. These consultations are primarily aimed at exchanging views on recent developments related to security and humanitarian issues on the ground and to permit the Co-Chairs to gain a comprehensive understanding of the positions of the participants. They will focus as well on the timing and modalities of the next GID round.
There is an “urgent need” to support the victims of sexual exploitation and abuse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) according to a local organization which works on the issue with the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO.
The United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) and Amani Africa, invite you to a high-level panel discussion in commemoration...
The United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) and Amani Africa, invite you to a high-level panel discussion in commemoration of the...
Women are often “placed second or even ignored” when they are employed as corrections officers in prisons and other detention centres, according to Téné Maimouna Zoungrana, an officer from Burkina Faso serving with the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
New York, 29 May 2022
Today, we honour the more than one million women and men who have served as United Nations peacekeepers since 1948.
We pay tribute to the nearly 4,200 heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace.
And we are reminded of an age-old truth: peace can never be taken for granted.
...“I am deeply concerned about the spiraling cycle of violence that has taken too many Palestinian and Israeli lives in recent weeks.
As we approach 29 May, I call upon all sides to exercise maximum restraint and make wise decisions to avoid another violent conflict that will only claim more lives. The message of the international community is clear to avoid such an escalation.
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Israelis and Palestinians must push beyond the paradigm of managing the conflict and move towards resolving it, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council on Thursday, as he expressed particular concern that dynamics in the occupied West Bank could spiral out of control “at any time”.
Despite UN efforts, political, economic and security deadlock continues in Libya, the UN political affairs chief told the Security Council on Thursday, adding that human rights there have also deteriorated.
Madam President
Thank you for the opportunity to brief the Security Council on the latest developments in Libya.
Since my last briefing to the Council on 19 April, the deadlock on the political, security and economic fronts has persisted, despite the best efforts of the United Nations to facilitate agreement among Libyan actors. Also, the human rights situation has deteriorated.
We are concerned that the protracted political impasse is having an increasingly negative impact on security, as shown by the clashes in Tripoli last week.
Madam President,
Special Adviser Williams convened a second round of consultations of the Joint Committee of the House of Representatives and High State Council in Cairo from 15 - 20 May. The two delegations met in a positive and constructive atmosphere and reviewed the 2017 Constitutional Draft.
The delegations reached agreement on 137 of 197 articles in the following areas: the form and nature of the state; basic rights and freedoms, including women rights; the structure and powers of a bicameral Parliament; and some of the prerogatives of the President and Prime Minister.
The progress achieved during this second round of talks is commendable. Members have agreed to reconvene in Cairo beginning on 11 June under UN auspices and hosted by the Government of Egypt.
The objective of this third and final round is to reach consensus on outstanding issues to finalize the constitutional arrangements for the holding of national elections on the earliest possible date. In the interim, the delegations have pledged to continue consultations with their respective Chambers.
Meanwhile, national and international stakeholders are expressing concern over the continued impasse in the executive.
Special Adviser Williams has continued to engage with Mr. Dbeibah and Mr. Bashagha to encourage dialogue. She is urging them to avoid provocative acts or negative rhetoric to keep the country from plunging back into conflict.
The Special Adviser has also held meetings with members of the Presidency Council, who expressed their intention to continue working on a national reconciliation process with support from the African Union and the United Nations.
UNSMIL and UNDP are providing technical expertise on the draft law on national reconciliation and transitional justice. In addition, they are helping with the development of a national online platform to gather civil society proposals for national reconciliation.
Madam President,
While the ceasefire reached in 2020 continues to hold, the security situation remains fragile.
In the early hours of 17 May, Mr. Bashagha entered Tripoli, backed by armed groups. Clashes in and around the city with armed groups supporting Mr. Dbeibah ensued, lasting for several hours. The fighting left one armed group member dead, a policeman injured and several buildings damaged.
Following mediation by local actors and outreach by the 5+5 Joint Military Commission, Mr. Bashagha was escorted out of Tripoli.
While fighting has ceased, the situation remains tense. Tripoli-based armed groups supporting either Mr. Dbeibah or Mr. Bashagha remain in a state of high alert.
On a positive note, I am pleased to report that on 23-24 May, the eastern and western delegations of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission met in Spain for the first time since the eastern delegation suspended its activities at the end of February.
On the margins of the DDR meeting on Libya hosted by the Spanish Government, Special Advisor Williams met with the 5+5 Joint Military Commission discussed the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement and expressed their readiness to resume their activities upon returning to Libya
Madam President,
As reported during my last briefing, the reluctance of the Government of National Unity to pay the Libyan National Army’s salaries for the first quarter of 2022 led elements affiliated with the LNA to close several oil fields and ports, cutting the country’s daily oil output in half.
Following Special Adviser Williams’ intercession with the GNU, the outstanding salaries were paid. Oil production, however, has yet to return to normal.
On 11 May, Mr. Dbeibah confirmed that he would authorize regular monthly payments for LNA salaries. We hope that this contentious and recurring issue has now been resolved.
Meanwhile, the Economic Working Group of the Berlin Process has been crafting a revenue management mechanism to overcome the disagreement over the control and use of public funds.
The mechanism would consist of a short-term financing facility to fund the National Oil Corporation and other specific priorities, including salaries, subsidies, essential government operations and expenditures. This mechanism could ease competition for resources and improve accountability.
Efforts also continue towards the reunification of the Central Bank of Libya, with the help of independent experts. The Bank’s Governor and Deputy Governor held the third steering committee meeting on the Bank’s reunification and reform in Istanbul on 24 April. They will meet again in September to review progress and activate the Board of Directors.
Madam President,
The human rights situation in Libya remains a source of great concern.
In the first week of May, Libyan security agencies launched a new wave of arrests of young people for alleged crimes against “Libyan culture and values”.
Security agencies were accused of posting on social media a so-called video “confession” and photos of those arrested. This was seen as a form of intimidation during the preliminary stages of investigation.
Restrictions persist on the work of civil society organisations, including women’s rights groups, accused of violating quote “the principles and values of Libyan society” end quote.
We remain concerned by the continued detention on these grounds of nine civil society and social activists who had peacefully exercised their right to freedom of expression. Some of the nine have been in detention for six months.
On 10 May, Special Adviser Williams travelled to Tarhouna, where she visited the sites of mass graves and met with families of victims who disappeared between 2012 and 2020. The perpetrators of these horrific crimes have yet to be brought to justice.
The situation of people internally displaced in Libya, including those displaced because of forced evictions, remains highly precarious. To cite just one instance, on 3 May, 477 displaced Tawergha families, totalling over 2,000 individuals, were forcibly evicted from two camps in Tripoli.
Equally worrying are the continued campaigns by the authorities of mass arrests and detention of undocumented foreign nationals and migrants in urban settings in the western region.
As of 8 May, 1,717 persons were detained in centres run by the Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration. Some 5,000 other migrants and refugees are being arbitrarily detained in inhumane conditions in both regular and unofficial detention centers.
Madam President,
It is imperative that the ceasefire in Libya be maintained, calm preserved and any steps that could result in renewed violence be avoided. We must urge all parties to uphold their commitment to the peaceful resolution of political differences through dialogue and negotiations.
It is also critical that Libyan political and security actors look beyond their personal interests and continue to engage constructively in the upcoming Cairo talks in support of the electoral/constitutional track. This is the only way to fulfil the aspirations of the Libyan people to select their representatives through the ballot box.
The United Nations will spare no effort to support the Libyan people in building a noble and peaceful country, including through the continued provision of good offices and mediation.
Madam President,
The Security Council has been at Libya’s side on its journey out of conflict and towards peace and stability. The path has not always been smooth. But Council support and attention have proved invaluable in keeping a political process alive.
Today, a coordinated and constructive effort is required to prevent further polarization and end the political stalemate. At a time of aggravated global turmoil, Council and international unity on the need for peace in Libya is especially important. It is what Libyans deserve. It is what the world needs.
Thank you.
The United Nations paid tribute to the men and women serving under its flag in some of the most dangerous places in the world during a ceremony in New York on Thursday to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
Every day, United Nations peacekeepers work to protect millions of vulnerable people in increasingly dangerous places in the world’s most fragile political contexts.
The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry said on Thursday that not extending current cross-border aid to Syria along the remaining route, would be a “failure of the highest order”. The warning to the Security Council comes as humanitarian needs throughout Syria are at their highest, since the start of the devastating 11-year war.
Conflict continues to inflict “widespread civilian death and injury” a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday, outlining the “grim reality” for those caught up in the crossfire of war.
The attempted destruction of Ukraine’s historic culture by invading Russian forces, will have a devastating impact on the pace of recovery in the post-war era, an independent UN human rights expert warned on Wednesday.
Governments must take greater action to ensure school remains a safe place for boys and girls, the head of the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, said on Wednesday, following the latest deadly school shooting in the United States.
New York, 25 May 2022
Africa is a home for hope. On Africa Day, we celebrate the enormous promise and potential of this diverse and dynamic continent.
The prospects on the horizon are bright – from Africa’s growing and vibrant youth population, to initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Decade of Women’s Financial and Economic Inclusion, and the African Union’s...
Time is short for Sudan to reach a solution to its protracted political crisis, the Special Representative for the country told the Security Council on Tuesday, warning that if the impasse is not urgently overcome, the consequences will be felt beyond national borders, impacting a whole generation.
For the first time ever, a Zimbabwean peacekeeper will receive the prestigious 2021 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, the UN Peacekeeping Office announced on Tuesday.
For the first time, a Zimbabwean peacekeeper has been chosen to receive the prestigious 2021 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, UN Peacekeeping announced on Tuesday.
Late Captain Abdelrazakh Hamit Bahar of Chad, was named on Tuesday as the recipient of United Nations Peacekeeping’s highest award, for exceptional courage, serving in Mali, which will be presented on Thursday at UN Headquarters in New York.
The recent conclusion of the electoral process in Somalia offers a long-awaited opportunity to make progress on other urgent national priorities, the UN Special Representative for the county told the Security Council on Monday.
While digital technologies have offered “boundless opportunities” for sustainable development, education and inclusion, the UN political chief warned on Monday that there is also a clear downside.
