“Now is the time to eliminate nuclear weapons from our world , and usher in a new era of dialogue, trust and peace”, declared UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday, marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
New York, 26 September 2021
From the very start, addressing the existential threat of nuclear weapons has been central to the work of the United Nations.
In 1946, the very first General Assembly resolution sought “the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction.
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The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Mohamed Younis A. Menfi, President of the Presidency Council of the Government of National Unity of the State of Libya.
The Secretary-General and the President of the Presidency Council discussed the latest developments in Libya. The Secretary-General welcomed the steps taken to advance the Libyan-led and Libyan-owned dialogue tracks and stressed the importance of holding the elections as scheduled on 24...
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A decade of war in Syria has left more 350,200 people dead, High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet told the Human Rights Council on Friday, noting that this total was an “under-count of the actual number of killings”.
The President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas on Friday called on the UN Secretary-General to convene an international peace conference and said that to ensure that this initiative is not open-ended, Israel must withdraw from the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem within one year.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades told UN Member States on Friday that he is determined “to set the negotiation process” with Turkey “back on track”, on the basis of the UN framework and the agreement reached in 2019.
Top UN officials met in the margins of the 76th General Assembly on Thursday, with a strong call to action to stamp out gender-based violence (GBV), amid a rise in forced displacement and other humanitarian emergencies around the globe.
Benghazi, 23 September 2021 - With representatives of the United Nations Country Team based in Benghazi, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya, Georgette Gagnon today concluded a four-day visit to Benghazi. Ms. Gagnon visited health facilities, medical warehouses, the Al Heleas IDP settlement, the rehabilitated Benghazi library and AlShabbi Corniche as well as the offices of Tatweer Research and...
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday again urged eight key countries which have not yet signed or ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), to do so without delay.
No region is immune to climate disasters the UN chief told the Security Council on Thursday, warning that “our window of opportunity” to prevent the worst climate impacts is “rapidly closing”.
Statement by Dr Najat Rochdi,
Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator
Provision of fuel to maintain critical health and WASH services
Beirut 23 September 2021 – Dr Najat Rochdi, Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Resident and...
The crisis in Yemen, now in its seventh year of war, continues unabated, with thousands of people displaced and millions “a step away from starvation”, the UN Humanitarian Relief Coordinator said on Wednesday during a high-level side event on the margins of the 76th General Assembly.
Excellencies,
I am pleased to join you and represent the Secretary-General today.
At the outset, I would like to acknowledge Romania’s important role in leading the Community of Democracies since 2019, especially under exceptional circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I also commend Romania’s efforts to ensure that the full and meaningful participation of women is a priority issue for the Community’s work.
This year’s Conference takes place at a critical moment. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all facets of our lives. It has laid bare our shared vulnerabilities: the weaknesses in global and national preparedness; the persistence of long-lasting grievances; and a disenchantment with public institutions and political leadership.
To be clear, these problems were not created by the pandemic. For many years, we have allowed them to fester, unchecked. For example, in traditionally stable democracies, we have seen over the last decade a gradual erosion of trust in representative processes and institutions.
Many people believe that, in their daily lives, these processes and institutions are not delivering on their fundamental promises: to promote equality; to provide social protection; to ensure justice and the protection of human rights.
Alongside this democratic malaise, we are also witnessing backsliding in many “young” democracies. Whether they use the trappings of a democratic system or appeal to so-called “true” democracy to subvert the popular will, authoritarians of all stripes are increasingly audacious.
The pandemic has exacerbated these trends. It has helped drive people towards polarization, and at times violence. It has led many to challenge the central tenets of democratic societies.
And it has made people and their leaders question the effectiveness of the multilateral system, which has not been able to fully come together to address the pandemic and its consequences
Excellencies,
This is the time to act.
If the pandemic demonstrated how fragile the international community is, it also showed how interconnected we are. Truly global threats, such as pandemics and the climate emergency, underscore the necessity of joined-up global action. Deadly viruses or extreme weather events do not respect national boundaries.
Today, I want to highlight three ways in which we can adapt.
First, at the national level, we need more inclusive societies. Groups that are excluded from decision-making must have a real say and find representation in political institutions. If we are truly to address the democratic deficit in the world today, we must take meaningful steps to ensure that women, youth, minorities, marginalized communities and those holding divergent views can participate fully in public life.
Second, at the international level, we need more solidarity. A multilateral system based on cooperation for the common good is indispensable if we are to address the threats we face and build peaceful societies, advance human rights, and attain sustainable development.
The multilateral system itself needs to evolve and become more inclusive and networked. This will require making space for new constituencies that are critical to addressing our common challenges – civil society, local governments, and the business sector, for example.
And third, we need to prepare better to respond to future challenges, none more critical than the climate emergency. From the perspective of the Department that I lead, this includes putting a central focus on prevention.
We need to change our approach to the maintenance of international peace and security and favor the prevention of crises. We know conflict prevention is less costly in human lives and resources than picking up the pieces after war. Prevention also means helping to build peaceful and resilient societies – the fundamental goal of the Sustainable Development Agenda.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Two weeks ago, the Secretary-General submitted a report on Our Common Agenda to the General Assembly. Drawing on broad consultations, the report presents a blueprint for these changes at the national and international level.
The Common Agenda embodies a vision for a reinvigorated multilateral system as the basis for more inclusive and resilient societies. It places particular focus on the role of youth and future generations. We acknowledge the need to give these constituencies more agency to address challenges that they will confront up close in the future.
We must remain clear-eyed about the magnitude of the task we face. The Common Agenda gives us a framework to work on revitalizing the global consensus, grounded in solidarity within and between societies.
We count on the support of the Community of Democracies in advancing this ambitious agenda.
Thank you.
New York, September 21, 2021
This year’s International Day of Peace comes at a crisis point for humanity.
COVID-19 has turned our world upside-down.
Conflicts are spinning out of control.
The climate emergency is worsening.
Inequality and poverty are deepening.
...The Secretary-General deeply regrets that the Houthi movement (who also call themselves Ansar Allah) yesterday carried out executions of nine individuals, one of whom was reportedly a minor at time of detention, and strongly condemns these actions which are a result of judicial proceedings that do not appear to have fulfilled the requirements of fair trial and due process under international law.
Stressing that he...
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At a virtual event on Friday commemorating the International Day of Peace, the UN chief saluted the “voices, vision and commitment of young people in shaping a more peaceful world”.
The people of Burundi continue to endure serious human rights violations including possible crimes against humanity, the majority committed by those with links to the ruling party, UN-appointed independent investigators said on Thursday.
The contribution of women activists towards building peace across the world is being highlighted in a UN exhibition of images taken by women photographers which is opening online and in New York.
The United Nations announced on Wednesday that all Gabonese military units deployed to the peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA, are to be sent home immediately, following credible reports alleging that unidentified ‘blue helmets’ had abused five girls.
South Sudan has made history with the appointment of two women to senior leadership positions within its Transitional National Legislature, the top United Nations official in the country told the Security Council on Wednesday, as he encouraged parties to build on these gains in efforts to overcome significant political and security headwinds.
Casualties caused by lethal cluster munitions continued to increase in 2020, despite progress in efforts to eliminate these weapons, a UN-backed civil society report said on Wednesday.
The future for Syria’s people is “increasingly bleak”, UN-appointed rights experts said on Tuesday, highlighting escalating conflict in several areas of the war-ravaged country, a return to siege tactics and popular demonstrations linked to the plummeting economy.
Despite setbacks and challenges, Sudan continues its transition towards democracy, the head of the UN special political mission in the country told the Security Council on Tuesday.
The return of humanitarian flights to Kabul since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is a turning point in the crisis, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday that beginning next month, funding shortages will force it to suspend lifesaving food assistance for more than 100,000 displaced people in parts of South Sudan until the start of 2022.
The UN atomic watchdog reached an agreement with Iran on Sunday allowing the Agency access to surveillance cameras inside its atomic facilities.
The theme of this year’s World Maritime Day — Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future — pays tribute to the professionalism and resilience of seafarers and recognizes their indispensable role securing vital global supply chains and transporting over 80 per cent of world trade in extraordinarily challenging times.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues...
