Chun Jie Kuai Le!
Happy Lunar New Year.
I am pleased to send you my warmest greetings as we begin the Year of the Tiger.
The tiger denotes strength, vitality, courage, tenacity, and boldness.
These are qualities we need as we face the unprecedented challenges of the day.
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The UN Mission in Colombia was the target of an attack on Thursday, when three vehicles that were part of a joint expedition travelling through a remote area, were approached by armed individuals, although nobody was ultimately injured during the incident.
A UN envoy will travel to Burkina Faso over the weekend on a “good offices mission” in the wake of the military coup last Sunday.
Airstrikes last week by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen that hit a detention facility in the northern city of Sa’ada, killed some 91 people and injured dozens more, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday, citing preliminary figures.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet appealed on Friday for the international community to intensify pressure on Myanmar’s military to stop its campaign of violence against citizens, and to insist on the prompt return to civilian rule, almost one year after seizing power in a coup.
New York, 28 January 2022
In a few days, our human family will come together in Beijing for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
The top athletes from around the world have a date with history, in a spirit of mutual understanding, hard work and fair play.
This spirit inspires us all.
The...
The UN and its partners need to reach more Syrians with immediate life-saving aid, the UN relief chief warned the Security Council on Thursday, calling for expanded access and more funds to sustain humanitarian operations, as the country struggles with an uptick in violence, deepening economic crisis, and a winter storm that has left a ‘trail of destruction’ in its wake.
With no shifts in the frontlines in almost two years, the UN Special Envoy for Syria warnedt he Security Council about “a strategic stalemate” in the nearly 11-year-old war.
With Afghanistan “hanging by a thread” six months after the Taliban takeover, the world cannot abandon the country now – for the sake of its people and overall global security, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday.
New York, 27 January 2022
Today we remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who perished in the Holocaust, the Roma and Sinti, and the countless other victims of its unprecedented horror and calculated cruelty.
The Holocaust defined the United Nations.
...People everywhere must stand firm against hate, amid rising antisemitism and other forms of religious bigotry, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.
Violence in Yemen continues to escalate, raising casualties and spilling across the war-torn country’s borders, the Special Envoy for the country and the Humanitarian Coordinator warned on Tuesday.
Opening a Security Council debate on how to protect civilians caught up in urban conflict,the UN Secretary-General on Tuesday said that more than 50 million people are currently impacted by fighting inside towns and cities.
Opening a Security Council debate on how to protect civilians caught up in urban conflict,the UN Secretary-General on Tuesday said that more than 50 million people are currently impacted by fighting inside towns and cities.
Authorities in South Sudan must investigate a report of deadly intercommunal violence in Jonglei State earlier this week, the UN mission in the country, UNMISS, said on Tuesday.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet deeply deplores this week’s military takeover in Burkina Faso, her office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday.
Secretary-General António Guterres is urging the world to “build a culture of peace” through the power of sport, calling for nations to observe the Olympic Truce, endorsed last week through a resolution of the UN General Assembly.
Following Sunday’s coup in Burkina Faso carried out by sections of the armed forces, the United Nations’ Secretary-General is following the developments in the landlocked West African nation with deep concern.
Libya is at a “delicate and fragile juncture in its path to unity and stability”, the UN Political Affairs chief told the Security Council on Monday, urging the international community to remain united in supporting national elections postponed last month.
Madam President
Thank you for the opportunity to brief the Security Council on the latest developments in Libya.
Since the last briefing to this Council on 24 November 2021, growing polarization among political actors and disputes over key aspects of the electoral process ultimately resulted in the postponement of the 24 December elections, despite the advanced stage of technical preparations by the High National Commission for Elections (HNEC).
In announcing the postponement, the HNEC cited shortcomings in the legal framework for the elections, contradictory court rulings on candidacies, and political and security concerns. The HNEC referred the matter to the House of Representatives.
In response, on 28 December, the House of Representatives established a Roadmap Committee to elaborate a new political path towards national elections. On 17 and 18 January, the Speaker of the House of Representatives convened Parliament and announced that the new roadmap would define the timetable and process for the holding of elections, in coordination with relevant institutions.
The Roadmap Committee is delivering its preliminary report today and the Parliament is expected to deliberate on it today or tomorrow.
Madam President,
On 5 December, the Secretary-General appointed Ms. Stephanie Williams as his Special Adviser on Libya. The Special Adviser is working closely with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), as well as with Libyan, regional and international stakeholders.
Since her arrival in Libya on 12 December, the Special Adviser has undertaken wide-ranging consultations in Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata and Sirte. She has met members of the Presidency Council, the Government of National Unity (GNU), the High National Election Commission, the House of Representatives, the High State Council and the Supreme Judicial Council, as well as candidates for the presidential and parliamentary elections. She has also consulted with relevant political, security and civil society actors from across the country.
Clearly, Libyan stakeholders hold different views regarding the path that can take the country to free, fair, inclusive and credible national elections and a peaceful transition. Discussion in the House of Representatives and among political actors is also increasingly focusing on the status of the Government of National Unity (GNU). SASG Williams has reiterated to Libyan interlocutors that the focus of the political process should remain on the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections to be held in the shortest possible timeframe.
In all her meetings, the Special Adviser highlighted the 2.8 million Libyans who have registered to vote. She called on all stakeholders to respect the will of the Libyan people. She also encouraged them to continue to focus on the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible and to adhere to the timeline agreed to in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) roadmap, which was endorsed by the Security Council.
Earlier this month, the Special Adviser held talks with authorities in Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt, and the Russian Federation. She also had exchanges with the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States and many other international stakeholders. The Special Adviser stressed that it was critical for the international community to remain united in its support for the timely holding of presidential and parliamentary elections.
Madam President,
Since our last briefing to the Council, there have been ongoing dialogue initiatives among political, security and economic actors from across Libya.
We have seen reports of consultations between the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the High State Council, as well as among presidential candidates from western and eastern Libya.
On the security track, there have been meetings among various armed groups.
The Chief of General Staff of the Western Military Forces under the Government of National Unity and the acting General Commander of the Libyan National Army also met in Sirte, where they were joined by military chiefs and heads of military departments from both sides.
On the economic track, further steps were taken towards reunification of the Central Bank of Libya, based on the recommendations of the independent financial audit of the Bank completed in July last year. The Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank shared with the economic working group of the Berlin Process their agreed overview of the way forward on reunification.
These are welcome developments.
We also welcome renewed efforts, particularly by the Presidency Council, to advance national reconciliation based on the principles of transitional justice. Together with the African Union, we remain committed to support a rights-based reconciliation process, which should advance in parallel to the ongoing Libyan-owned and Libyan-led dialogue tracks.
Madam President,
The ceasefire has continued to hold. However, political uncertainty in the run up to the elections negatively impacted the overall security situation, resulting in shifting alliances among armed groups affiliated with certain presidential candidates.
Similarly, unfulfilled demands made to the Government of National Unity by the Petroleum Facilities Guards (PFG) in western Libya recently resulted in the shutdown of oil production, causing the National Oil Corporation to declare force majeure on 20 December. Oil production was restored on 9 January, following negotiations between the PFG and the GNU.
As part of efforts to implement the ceasefire agreement, the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) travelled to Ankara and Moscow in December, to discuss the implementation of their Action plan for the withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries with Turkish and Russian authorities, including the establishment of communication and information-sharing mechanisms. These welcome steps build on similar mechanisms already established with Chad, Niger and Sudan, which were discussed with the African Union.
Meanwhile, the second group of international monitors from the UNSMIL Ceasefire Monitoring Component deployed to Tripoli in December to replace the first group deployed in October. Despite serious logistical and security challenges, UNSMIL continues working on the establishment of the ceasefire monitoring hub in Sirte. In this regard, we look forward to the approval by the Government of National Unity to proceed with the needed work on accommodation and office facilities in Sirte.
Madam President,
The human rights situation in Libya remains very worrying.
Over the reporting period, UNSMIL documented incidents of elections-related violence and attacks based on political affiliation, as well as threats and violence against members of the judiciary involved in proceedings on eligibility of electoral candidates, and attacks against journalists, activists and individuals expressing political views. Such incidents are an obstacle to creating a conducive environment for free, fair, peaceful and credible elections.
We are particularly concerned that women and men working to protect and promote women’s rights continued to be targeted by hate speech, defamation and incitement to violence. Some of the disturbing social media posts that posed a threat to the safety and security of these persons were removed after UNSMIL brought them to the attention of social media platforms.
Arbitrary detention in facilities operated by State and non-State actors continues across the country, with many detainees subjected to serious human rights abuses. According to statistics provided by Libyan authorities, over 12,000 detainees are being held in 27 prisons and places of detention across Libya. Thousands of additional detainees, including children, do not appear in official statistics and are held illegally, often in inhumane conditions.
The situation of migrants and refugees in Libya remains highly concerning. Large numbers of migrants and refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea and returned to Libya continue to be detained in inhumane and degrading conditions with restricted humanitarian assistance. Thousands are unaccounted for.
A joint UNSMIL-OHCHR report published in November documents that hundreds of foreign nationals were expelled in recent months to Sudan and Chad from Libya’s eastern and southern borders without due process. In many instances, the expelled individuals were placed in extremely vulnerable situations across remote stretches of the Sahara Desert without sufficient food, water, safety and medical care.
The United Nations remains ready to work with Libyan authorities on a long-term national response to migration and refugee management in line with international law to include addressing human rights concerns.
Madam President,
I am, however, pleased to report improvements in the overall humanitarian situation in 2021. The UN recorded a 30 per cent decrease in the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance, from 1.3 million at the start of 2021 to 803,000 by the year’s end. Of the 278,000 Libyans internally displaced one year ago, about 100,000 people returned home in 2021.
However, challenges persist in finding durable solutions for those still displaced and for returnee communities that lack basic services. Political and institutional divisions and the absence of an approved national budget resulted in limited improvements in basic infrastructure and service delivery in 2021. The Humanitarian Response Plan for Libya, extended through May 2022, is supporting the most vulnerable and refugee and migrant populations but requires additional funding.
Madam President,
Libya is at a delicate and fragile juncture in its path to unity and stability. We welcome and support the positive developments taking place across the three intra-Libyan dialogue tracks and recognize the challenges that must be overcome. We need to collectively nurture these positive steps.
It is critical that the international community remains united in its support for elections, guided by the aspirations of the Libyan people to be governed by elected institutions.
As so many Libyans have told us, the way forward towards a stable and united Libya is through the ballot box, not the gun. We must stand with them.
New York, 24 January 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused chaos in education worldwide.
Some 1.6 billion school and college students had their studies interrupted at the peak of the pandemic -- and it’s not over yet.
Today, school closures continue to disrupt the lives of over 31 million students,...
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The UN chief has condemned airstrikes launched early on Friday by the Saudi-led coalition battling Houthi rebels in Yemen, that struck a detention centre in the rebel-held city of Saada, which have left at least 60 dead, and more than hundred injured.
Mr. Deputy Assistant Minister,
Thank you for well as for the opportunity to provide you with a briefing on the current security situation in Haiti.
Following the shocking assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on 7 July of last year, Haiti’s turbulent politics entered a new phase of uncertainty that persists to this day.
Months of discreet discussions conducted by Prime Minister Ariel Henry have led to a new government, unveiled on 24 November, on the basis of a political agreement struck on 11 September with some national political and civil society sectors.
However, efforts by the Prime Minister to broaden this consensus and bring on board other Haitian stakeholders involved in competing transitional governance initiatives are yet to bear fruit.
Most recently, we saw the merging of two such initiatives, that of the Montana Group and the Protocole d’entente nationale, which calls for a 24-month transition led by an appointed five-member presidential college.
An inclusive common way forward is needed to foster the type of political and security environments that could result in the holding of elections, and thus the restoration of democratically elected institutions.
The Prime Minister has recently reiterated his call for dialogue to help chart just such a roadmap and begin to lead Haiti out of its current governance crisis and in a way that strengthens stability. We must be prepared to provide support in a manner that helps create a climate for this to happen sooner rather than later.
Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,
Amid the ongoing dispute over the governance modalities best suited for the institutional vacuum, the link between gangs and politics and the instrumentalization of criminal armed groups by some politicians and business leaders continue to pose an acute threat to Haitian society.
As we speak, large swaths of the country’s population live in terror of the gangs. These criminal groups are engaged in a growing competition for control over territory and the economy, which adversely impacts the security environment and poses a direct challenge to the Haitian National Police.
The security situation has continued to deteriorate in recent months. The Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, in particular, has recently witnessed multiple random deadly shootings against public transportation vehicles, an increase in homicides, the ballooning of kidnappings for ransom, and a weeks-long blockage of fuel terminals which severely constricted the supply of petroleum products in October and November of last year.
Those charged with the primary responsibility for the security of Haitian citizens, the Haitian National Police, are hampered by a chronic lack of adequate equipment as well as a dearth of logistical and financial support. The Superior Council of the National Police, headed by the Prime Minister, continues to affirm that the police can restore security throughout the country. But the Council has also requested support from the international community.
It is essential that bilateral partners, multilateral institutions, and Haitian authorities devise an effective collaborative approach to help Haiti tackle its security problems. Such an effort must have at its center the continued development and professionalization of the national police.
Within this framework, the UN Integrated Office in Haitia and the UN country team remain steadfastly committed to advising and supporting the national police as it strives to reinforce certain essential units – such as the anti-kidnapping and the drone units – in order to better address the security challenge. United Nations efforts also include providing support in the development of the next multi-year strategic plan for the Haitian National Police
In coordination with the leadership of the HNP, the United Nations and other stakeholders have undertaken to develop a short-term, quick impact police reform plan. The implementation of the plan could be supported through the creation of a basket fund. Designed to be led by Haitian authorities but managed by the UN Development Programme, such a multi-donor fund would respond directly to priorities identified by the national police following a recent administrative and financial management audit.
Madam Minister, ladies and gentlemen,
To be sure, gang violence cannot be addressed through policing alone. A law enforcement approach needs to be complemented by socio-economic projects and reintegration activities aimed at generating employment and revenue in the neighborhoods most affected by the scourge of gang violence. The UN has supported the Haitian authorities in developing the recently adopted national community violence reduction strategy premised on such a holistic approach. The Government must now ensure that it is swiftly and effectively implemented. We must also continue in our efforts to find solutions to the disproportionate impact of gang violence on women and girls. Our continued support to the Haitian authorities is crucial to the success of this effort.
I firmly believe that today’s meeting will significantly contribute to further boosting national efforts to strengthen police capacities and promote a safer security environment, which is an essential condition for credible, transparent, and democratic elections to be held and development to take place.
The Haitian National Police needs international support if it is to fulfill its role to serve and protect the Haitian people as they deserve. It is important that we do not abandon Haiti and its security institutions at this critical stage.
Ultimately, security will depend in the long run on stronger foundations for political stability. Supporting Haitian stakeholders to overcome their divisions, act cohesively, and assume joint ownership of a single and unified national vision that will lead the country towards the restoration of democratically elected, fully functional institutions as soon as possible is our main path to sustainable security and stability in the country.
Thank you.
Dear youth representatives,
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to sincerely thank the governments of Qatar, Finland and Colombia, for hosting this High-Level Conference on Youth Inclusive Peace Processes.
I also want to thank all the co-organizers, including our partners – the Office of the Youth Envoy, UNFPA, UNDP, UN Women, Search for Common Ground, the United Network of Young Peacebuilders and my team in DPPA – who have worked so hard over the last few years to bring this event to fruition.
I am happy to see that the conference has produced important tangible outcomes.
First, the Guidelines for Member States will be an important tool in making the Youth, Peace and Security agenda operational at the national level. They build on the experiences of Member States and provide concrete examples of what can be done to translate the YPS agenda into national efforts, policies, and structures.
These Guidelines complement our efforts to strengthen the UN’s internal expertise and capacity on YPS. The Youth, Peace and Security Programming Handbook we launched in 2021 with the Folke Bernadotte Academy provided importance guidance on how to integrate YPS into programmes and in our analytical work.
The Member States guidelines help us understand how to create enabling systems and participation mechanisms and how to integrate YPS into policies, budgets and strategic frameworks. More importantly, the guidelines will help ensure ownership and accelerate national implementation.
Second, the Five-Year Strategy on youth-inclusive peace processes is another critical outcome of this Conference, which provides a clear roadmap to enable peace and mediation processes that are more inclusive and responsive to the concerns and interests of youth.
The strategy builds on the wealth of inspiring work of young women and men on the frontlines of peacebuilding.
These experiences include:
The strategy will help regional and other organizations as well as peace and mediation practitioners to learn from those experiences and adapt traditional models of conflict resolution to more up-to-date approaches that take into account intergenerational relations and forward-looking perspectives.
Lastly, I want to mention the commitments we have heard during the Conference. It is encouraging to see the momentum created by this gathering, and to hear all the pledges made to accelerate implementation of the agenda. To take the implementation to the necessary levels, we will need everyone – youth, Governments, civil society and the international community – to work together.
Colleagues and friends,
We have much to celebrate. But we are all too aware of the barriers that remain, preventing the wider participation and leadership of young women and men in peace processes.
For us at the United Nations, the work of enhancing youth inclusion and participation involves our special political missions, including in Afghanistan, Colombia, Libya, Iraq and Somalia. But we also engage globally, helping make sure the voices and experiences of young peacebuilders are heard and taking into account, including in the deliberations of the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission.
As the Secretary-General mentioned in his opening remarks, the Peacebuilding Fund is an important tool to support the implementation of YPS agenda. We will continue to advocate for increased investments in youth-led peacebuilding and will further explore ways to make resources more accessible to youth-led initiatives.
Working with youth and on the Youth, Peace and Security agenda has been one of the most exciting areas of work for me personally, my Department and the United Nations as a whole. We will continue to support the implementation of the YPS agenda, and to scale up our partnerships for and with youth and channel their energy, innovation and activism as agents of change to address the most pressing issues of our times.
Thank you.
Five years after its signing, the Final Peace Agreement in Colombia is setting down ever deeper roots, the Special Representative for the country told the Security Council on Thursday, as he called on the Government, political parties, former combatants and Colombians across the diverse South American nation, to intensify implementation of the landmark 2016 accord ahead of Congressional elections.
Although young people have been at the forefront of efforts to build and sustain peace, opportunities for them to make a meaningful contribution remain insufficient, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday.
The UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, on Thursday urged Israeli to immediately halt all evictions and demolitions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, after an entire family was forced out of their long-term home the previous day.
Urgent action is required to prevent further deterioration of the economic, security and political situation across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the UN’s Middle East envoy, Tor Wennesland, told the Security Council on Wednesday.
The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday said he was “delighted” to learn that “a demonstrable effort to make peace” in Ethiopia is finally underway, according to information relayed to him by the African Union High Representative for the Horn of Africa.
Although international action over the past 25 years has led to the release of more than 170,000 boys and girls recruited to fight, more remains to be done, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
I am delighted to join you to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate. I would like to thank Minister Huitfeldt and Norway for their steadfast support for this agenda. I also want to pay tribute to Special Representative of the Secretary-General Virginia Gamba and her predecessors for the remarkable work of her office over the last 25 years.
As conflicts have become more intractable and protracted, civilians, particularly women and children, are paying the heaviest toll.
Our joint efforts to protect children in armed conflicts from the grave violations first identified by the Security Council back in 1999 (SCR 1261) could not be more urgent today.
Child recruitment; killing and maiming; rape and other forms of sexual violence; abduction; attacks on schools and hospitals; and denials of humanitarian assistance tragically remain all too common realities for children in many of the contexts where we operate.
The special political missions my Department oversees carry out a wide range of activities to protect children in conflict situations, from early warning, monitoring and analysis to political and programmatic engagement.
In several missions, child protection advisers report regularly on violence against children and other child protection gaps, helping guide political engagement.
In Iraq, for example, UNAMI has been able to work closely with national authorities to help verify and mitigate grave violations against children, such as recruitment by ISIL and other non-state armed groups.
The mission has also assisted the government in the reintegration of hundreds of children that had been recruited by armed actors, and in developing long-term programmes to protect the rights to education for children from all social, ethnic, linguistic and religious groups.
Our convening power and expertise can give us real leverage to advocate for child protection with national actors. In Colombia, for example, from the early stages of the UN involvement in the peace process, DPPA and the Office of the Special Representative worked closely with the parties to put emphasis on the issue of child protection.
The UN’s advocacy was instrumental in convincing the parties to commit to the early release of children from the FARC-EP, and to the establishment of a special programme to reintegrate them into their families.
To more fully address the risks that children face in conflict environments, we need to work closely with other actors and craft collective responses.
In Somalia, UNSOM has partnered with the Federal Government, local communities and civil society in the implementation of the government’s Action Plan on children and armed conflict. This involves conducting joint screenings in military camps to verify the presence of children, and providing training to the Somali National Army, police and judges, as well as the African Union Mission in Somalia.
Excellencies,
Today’s event is an opportunity to re-commit ourselves to ensuring that children are protected from the destruction caused by war. My hope is that, in commemorating future anniversaries of this agenda, we will be able to recognize progress made in ending violations against children in armed conflict settings. This is vital for children – and for building peace in the long term.
Thank you.
The UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, on Tuesday appealed for $1.6 billion to support its lifesaving work this year amid acute regional crises and chronic funding shortfalls.
With COVID-19, the situation for women human rights defenders and the prospects for women's full participation in building peace, has become “vastly worse”, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday.
