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Mr. President,
I am honored to have been appointed by the Secretary-General as his Special Representative in Colombia. I am grateful for the opportunity to brief you today as I prepare to formally assume these new responsibilities in Bogotá later this month.
The Security Council’s involvement has been fundamental to the achievements of Colombia’s peace process. I look forward to working closely with the Council to help ensure that Colombia continues to advance on a path to lasting peace and security.
Asimismo, deseo reconocer la participación hoy de Su Excelencia Leonor Zalabata, Representante Permanente de la República de Colombia. Yo pienso que la presencia de la embajadora es muy importante. La embajadora es una mujer de la Sierra Nevada que es también testigo de lo que ha pasado allá y también testigo de lo que trajo la implementación del acuerdo de paz. Expresamos nuestro agradecimiento al Gobierno de Colombia por su constante colaboración con la Misión de Verificación. En su último informe al Consejo, el Secretario General destaca los esfuerzos del Gobierno y solicita medidas decisivas durante el resto de su mandato para lograr la implementación integral del Acuerdo Final de Paz.
Mr. President, Excellencies,
In September, immediately following my designation, I carried out a preparatory visit to Colombia. I wanted to reiterate the Secretary-General’s strong commitment to the peace process, and to be able to bring to this briefing firsthand impressions to complement his report.
I met during the visit with signatory parties to the Agreement, and a broad range of interlocutors, across the political and social spectrums, in Bogotá and in the field.
The Foreign Minister and the heads of key government offices responsible for peace implementation presented their work across the array of issues addressed by the Agreement – from rural reform, to reintegration, security guarantees, and actions of specific attention to marginalized communities. They highlighted progress but also described frankly the areas where implementation has come up short over the years and needs to be reinforced through concerted state actions.
National leaders of the Comunes party and former combatants I spoke with at the local level shared their expectations and concerns -- security foremost among them -- while reaffirming their commitment to the Agreement and to their peaceful and productive reintegration into society.
Steps to accountability for serious crimes of the conflict were also moving forward during my visit. I met with the President of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace on the eve of the Court’s issuance of the first sentences against former FARC and members of the security forces - a process that is crucial for ensuring truth, justice and reparations to victims. We discussed the critical role ahead for the Mission, as mandated by this Council, to verify compliance with and implementation of the sentences.
I am also grateful to the civil society leaders who generously shared their perspectives about the peace process: women’s leaders, representatives of Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities, peasant, human rights and youth activists, political sectors and members of the private sector who are investing in peace.
Mr. President,
Consolidating peace in Colombia after decades of conflict is a complex work-in-progress. And as we meet today the country is entering a delicate period that poses additional challenges.
The coming national elections are increasing political tension and polarization. Current fiscal constraints impinge upon financing for peace. Recent tragic acts of violence and patterns of insecurity in certain regions are prompting urgent calls to enhance security.
At the same time, I was struck by the determination of so many actors in Colombia to continue advancing in the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement -- convinced that it remains the country’s essential roadmap for building peace. I heard expressions of appreciation across the board for the work of the Verification Mission and UN system in Colombia, and for the active engagement of the Security Council.
Mr. President,
As the Secretary-General states in his report, Colombia has come a long way over the years on the path to becoming a more peaceful and secure nation. Nevertheless - and especially given recent violence -- he stresses that every effort must be made to ensure that the country does not slip backward, but rather continues to move forward along a trajectory of expanding peace and security. The Peace Agreement, he states, is central to the solution.
Among its key provisions are rural reform —with the potential to unlock greater development opportunities and prosperity across the country— and security guarantees —which can contribute to tackling complex criminal dynamics and illegal economies. Implementing these chapters of the agreement can contribute decisively to stabilizing regions that remain today severely affected by conflict, by extending to these areas an effective presence of the state. Immediate actions coupled with sustained long-term investments are needed to fully realize the transformative potential of the Agreement. With regard to the rural reform, the Secretary-General has welcomed recent progress on land reform, addressing a key factor long enmeshed in Colombia’s armed conflict.
Mr. President, Members of the Council,
The Secretary-General welcomed the issuance of the first restorative sentences by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace as an historic milestone in the pursuit of justice for some of the most serious and emblematic crimes committed during the conflict. This is also a pivotal moment in the implementation of the Agreement.
The conflict inflicted immeasurable suffering on victims and their families. The transitional justice process is delivering unprecedented convictions and acceptance of responsibility by those who committed serious crimes, while involving victims in the process and offering redress to them through restorative action to be carried out by the perpetrators.
The Special Jurisdiction for Peace has announced that such restorative actions include the search for persons who went missing during the conflict, the removal of mines and risk-reduction activities, and the construction of memorials and community infrastructure.
The Verification Mission stands ready to independently and rigorously verify compliance and implementation. Of immediate necessity is the establishment by the Government of the conditions for the prompt translation of these sentences into restorative actions on behalf of the victims. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace called last week on the Government and on Congress to urgently assign additional budgetary resources for this purpose.
Mr. President,
The reintegration of the more than 11,000 former FARC-EP who laid down arms and remain actively part of the peace process is central to the integrity of the Agreement. As described by the Secretary-General in his latest report, this is also a security imperative for Colombia, key to preventing the recurrence of conflict.
The Mission is verifying the relevant commitments on reintegration, highlighting especially issues of security and sustainability. With nearly 500 former combatants killed since the signing of the Agreement, enhancing security for them and – equally important -- for communities, is critical. Yet despite this major concern, we see an impressive commitment of the vast majority of those who laid down arms to peacefully reincorporate into society. At the Llano Grande reintegration area where I traveled, in the department of Antioquia, former combatants were growing coffee and building their first durable housing with government support, since laying down arms nine years ago. They were also joining in common projects with a nearby community.
Various interlocutors stressed to me that that insecurity remains the greatest threat to peace. Persistent violence in various regions of Colombia —fueled by illegal economies and disputes by armed groups over territorial control— is seriously impeding progress in implementing the Agreement, and severely impacting the civilian population. As the Secretary-General has argued, effective security strategies are needed in combination with peace policies. The armed groups must cease all threats and violence against the civilian population.
It will be particularly important for the State to ensure the safe conduct of the coming elections. This was a call conveyed strongly during my visit, and one that the Mission will be following closely in the months ahead. There can be no repeat of atrocious acts of violence such as the assassination of Senator Miguel Uribe.
Mr. President,
Let me conclude by offering the Secretariat’s full readiness to assist the Council as it turns soon to the renewal of the Mission’s mandate.
Since its establishment, the Mission has worked through different phases of the peace process and with successive administrations in Colombia who, with varying approaches, have shouldered the responsibility to implement the Agreement. Throughout, the Mission has provided objective verification and reporting, while working proactively to identify solutions and foster constructive relations among all involved.
The Mission has also advocated for the adoption of measures to help prevent security incidents, raising the alarm on numerous occasions when threats to civilians, including former combatants, were identified. As stated to me repeatedly during my visit, the Mission’s presence builds confidence. The voice of the Security Council, informed by the Mission’s reporting, helps to drive progress on the ground.
I am confident that the Mission can continue to play a critical role while adapting to changing needs and circumstances. As part of the UN80 exercise, the Secretary-General proposed significant efficiencies while preserving the Mission’s core capacity to deliver on its mandate. One of the key assets is its presence in the regions prioritized by the Peace Agreement, including some of the most remote and conflict-affected areas. In line with this broader organizational realignment -- the Mission has already taken steps to streamline operations, including by reducing personnel previously deployed to verify the now inactive ceasefire between the Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN).
Mr. President, Members of the Council,
Colombia is a rare case in which the Council has been able to respond with targeted assistance to a nationally owned peace process. These are favorable circumstances for the United Nations to continue to make a positive and focused contribution.
I thank you for your attention. I pledge to do my utmost to exercise sound leadership on the ground in pursuit of our collective work for peace and security in Colombia.
Thursday’s terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester, which left at least two worshippers dead on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, has been strongly condemned by the UN Secretary-General.
Rising violence by gangs in Haiti’s capital is restricting humanitarian access and pushing families deeper into hunger, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Thursday.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday warned that civilians in Sudan’s El Fasher face the imminent risk of large-scale atrocities, as fighting intensifies around the regional capital of North Darfur, besieged for more than 500 days by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.
Nearly 42,000 people in Gaza are living with life-changing injuries from the ongoing conflict – including more than 10,000 children – as the health system collapses under relentless strain, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been engaging with both sides in the Ukraine conflict in efforts to restore external power to the beleaguered Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in the south of the country.
As Israeli forces continued their push to take full control of Gaza City on Wednesday, reports emerged that another skeletal child whose plight was highlighted by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has now died. Her name was Jana and she was nine years old.
As gangs in Haiti continue to expand the areas under their control and show no signs of holding back on terrorizing the population, decisive action has been taken by the UN Security Council to fight back against the violence they are perpetrating.
Immunisation experts at the UN World Health Organization (WHO) have warned that global protection against preventable diseases is under threat, in part because of an “information and trust crisis” regarding vaccines.
Excellencies,
This conference is focused on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. However, a sustainable solution will require a settlement of the political crisis in Myanmar, fueled by the military takeover in February 2021 and the armed conflict that has evolved across the country.
The plight of the Rohingya and other minorities has persisted for decades, and now through the bitter internal conflict, the broader population is also suffering the consequences of war – casualties, displacement and growing humanitarian needs. Women and children are disproportionally affected.
Myanmar’s multifaceted crisis requires our immediate attention and urgent action. It is not easy to gain attention, and as the United Nations meeting last week of world leaders highlighted, there is a significant level of global turmoil and armed conflict. Yet people within Myanmar and along its borders are also suffering and are deserving of our support.
The violence continues between the military and ethnic armed organizations and people’s defense forces. There is no agreed ceasefire. There is no agreed pathway to peace. There is no agreed political solution. Human rights violations continue with impunity.
In my role as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, I have heard from all the voices of Myanmar, and listened to the conflicting perspectives while remaining impartial and upholding UN values and principles, in order to help support and promote a Myanmar-led, sustainable, inclusive and peaceful political solution.
As part of my efforts to engage with all parties, I visited Myanmar again last week, my third visit, and met with State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) leaders. I met for the second time with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Nay Pyi Taw.
A zero-sum mentality persists across this highly polarized nation. Over 4 1/2 years since the military takeover, and while the fighting has been intense and the military has lost territory to ethnic armed organizations and others, there were expectations that there will be territorial gains during the process for the proposed election.
The initial international condemnation of the military takeover has subsided, and the Senior General has been welcomed to high level regional meetings with global and regional leaders.
His visits include to the capitals of Security Council member states, and reference was made to instances of the lifting of sanctions.
The SSPC which replaced the State Administration Council (SAC) after the expiration of the State of Emergency on 31 July, is preparing for elections to be held in three phases, commencing on 28 December in 102 out of 330 townships, with tightened security measures introduced in anticipation of violent disruption of the election process.
The Union Election Commission is preparing voters lists, party registration and candidate nominations.
The SSPC is planning an event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). It is proposed to be a “Peace Forum” with invitations extended to supporters of the NCA, and a range of stakeholders including diplomats and other actors.
I met with representatives of the National Unity Government this week, as well as a number of Rohingya groups and civil society organizations.
I have regular conversations with ethnic armed organizations and other parties. There is a significant risk that the election planned for December, under current circumstances, will increase resistance, protest and violence and further undermine the fragile state of the country.
Views of ASEAN members range from strident opposition to the holding of elections under current circumstances, to resignation to the inevitable, to vocal support for elections as a potential circuit breaker.
The National League for Democracy, whose leaders remain under detention, along with other political prisoners, has reiterated that it does not recognize the SSPC’s plan to hold polls in limited areas, calling the exercise a “sham attempt” to gain political legitimacy.
As to the Rohingya, forcibly displaced again from Myanmar more than eight years ago, the escalating conflict in the country presents a seemingly insurmountable barrier to their return.
In my meetings with Rohingya, including over recent days with refugees living in Cox’s Bazar, they have called for an end to violence by all sides and the beginning of a journey toward peace, self-reliance, and the realization of their rights. Rohingya provided concrete examples of confidence-building measures that could be trialed among diverse communities, and outlined potential pathways toward inclusive dialogue, while underscoring that accountability for all actors was critical for reconciliation.
An inclusive Myanmar is only possible if it guarantees safety, justice, and opportunity for all communities, most critically the Rohingya, and addresses the root causes of conflict, discrimination, and disenfranchisement. As one representative put it, this is not just about survival, it is about recognition.
I visited Cox’s Bazar in February, where I heard directly from some of the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees who live in the crowded camps. They shared aspirations for further education, upskilling, and employment that would afford them dignity and self-reliance.
They wish to return home, to Rakhine, to rebuild their lives, and become leaders of their communities with control over their destiny.
They also spoke of new challenges posed by funding shortfalls, including shrinking opportunities for schooling and livelihoods. They highlighted the increasing vulnerability of some communities, particularly Rohingya women and youth, to criminal elements who capitalize on the desperate situation. Some have risked dangerous sea journeys in search of safety and opportunity.
Despite the generosity of donors, the reality is that the needs of the Rohingya in Bangladesh are outpacing resources at an alarming rate. The 2025 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Response is currently only thirty-seven per cent funded.
This is already having dire consequences for Rohingya in the camps, with critical cuts to their food rations and a sharp decline in access to education.
The World Food Programme (WFP) in Bangladesh warned this month that without new contributions, food assistance for the entire Rohingya community will come to a complete halt in two months. UNICEF has announced the suspension of major segments of its education program for both Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
As the Secretary-General has highlighted, there is an urgent need for strengthened international solidarity and increased support, in concert with efforts toward a comprehensive political solution that meaningfully includes the Rohingya.
As Rohingya refugees continue to push for a return home, addressing root causes of the crisis and sustaining efforts that improve the well-being of all communities in Rakhine State is more critical than ever. The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State headed by the late Kofi Annnan underscored the pervasive poverty among both Rakhine and Muslim communities, and the importance of addressing the low levels of socio-economic development, and enhancing intercommunal dialogue and reconciliation.
Women – Rohingya, ethnic Rakhine, as well as other minorities in the state – have also reportedly faced increasing sexual and gender-based violence from a range of armed groups. The fear and trauma among survivors and their communities has been deep and persistent.
Civilians have also been caught in an increasingly complex conflict, involving the Myanmar military, the Arakan Army, and other armed groups, with some civilians including children subjected to forced recruitment and other abuses.
In my engagement with all parties, I have underscored their responsibility to allow for unfettered access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and other forms of essential services, adhere to international humanitarian law and civilian protection, and called on them to prevent further incitement of communal tensions.
I continue to call for an end to aerial bombardment targeting civilian infrastructure while the military maintains a narrative that justifies the bombings as a necessary action against groups they label ‘terrorists’, with comparisons to other conflicts.
I will continue working closely with ASEAN – its Chair, Special Envoy, and Member States. This partnership remains essential, particularly as the regional implications of the crisis continue to grow.
If left to fester, more will fall prey to transnational criminal networks, cyber scamming and drugs, in neighboring countries and beyond.
I acknowledge the leadership of Malaysia as ASEAN Chair and its efforts to foster dialogue among Myanmar actors and the international community. A coherent international approach must be grounded in a collective regional response. We must also strengthen regional protection efforts, to provide access to conflict-affected communities and further support host countries.
In addition to ASEAN, forging strong cooperation with other neighboring countries will remain a priority. I continue to engage with the European Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and others who have the capacity to influence outcomes. These actors in particular have a stake in Myanmar's peace and are positioned to influence positive change. I specifically look to the global Muslim community to, at the very least provide greater financial support to the plight of their Rohingya brothers and sisters.
I thank Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, for his leadership and for his commitment to find a lasting solution. I thank Bangladesh and other host countries for continuing to bear the responsibility of sheltering over one million Rohingya refugees.
People deserve to live with dignity, while longer-term solutions are pursued that permit them to return home.
An inclusive, peaceful, sustainable future for Myanmar must guarantee safety, accountability, and equity for all communities, including Rohingya Muslims and other minorities, while tackling the root causes of conflict, discrimination, and exclusion.
We are yet to find the common ground or willingness to compromise that will bring the myriad parties to the negotiating table.
Time is not on our side.
“Houses burned. Neighbours killed. Hope vanishing.” With those stark words, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock opened a high-level UN conference on Tuesday, as alarm rises over the impact of Myanmar’s deepening crisis which threatens to destabilise the wider region.
The UN Security Council has backed a resolution authorising the transition of the Kenyan-led support mission for Haiti into a new Gang Suppression Force, in close cooperation with Haitian authorities. US Ambassador Michael Waltz said it offered new hope for the country's future as “a key first step” to address the humanitarian and security crisis there. Follow the meeting live below; UN News app users need to click here for coverage.
Peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) “is still mostly a promise”, the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, told the Security Council on Tuesday.
The UN Security Council on Tuesday authorized a new multinational Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti to replace the Kenyan-led security support mission, amid escalating gang violence, widespread rights abuses and a humanitarian emergency affecting all aspects of life in the island nation.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed Monday’s Gaza peace deal proposal from US President Donald Trump, urging “all parties” to commit to it.
The UN Security Council is meeting to discuss the Middle East crisis and protection of civilians in conflict, as speculation grows of a potential deal to end the war in Gaza with US President Donald Trump and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu meeting in the White House for talks on Monday. Follow live coverage from the council chamber in New York below; UN News app users can go here.
The humanitarian situation in the besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, is growing more dire by the day, according to UN aid coordinators.
The past three months have seen an increase in Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank alongside threats of annexation and mounting violence there and in the besieged Gaza Strip, the Security Council heard on Monday.
In Ukraine, people across the country have been dealing with the aftermath of a massive Russian bombing raid that lasted into the early hours of Monday, reportedly killing four, including a teenage girl.
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The escalating Israeli military offensive in Gaza City continues to overwhelm medical professionals there, with four more hospitals forced to shut down this month alone in the north of the war-torn enclave, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
World leaders have thrown their weight behind the first-ever United Nations global political declaration tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health together.
Six years after the defeat of ISIL, also known as Daesh, tens of thousands of people with alleged or actual ties to the terrorist group remain detained in camps in northeast Syria in dire conditions that continue to worsen.
The UN Security Council has voted down an effort by China and Russia to extend sanctions relief to Iran for six months under the nuclear deal – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The so-called “snapback” mechanism remains in force which will see sanctions reimposed on Tehran this weekend, following the termination of the JCPOA. Follow our live coverage below; UN News app users can go here.
A resolution to extend sanctions relief to Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal failed to pass in the UN Security Council on Friday.
The UN Secretary General on Friday warned a high-level meeting in New York focused on ridding the world of nuclear weapons that the threat is only “accelerating and evolving”.
UNSMIL / Bryony Taylor
TRIPOLI – The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) publishes today its ...
Nuclear weapons continue to pose an existential threat to humanity. On Friday in New York as high-level week draws to a close, world leaders will revisit the grave dangers these weapons pose and push for renewed global efforts to eliminate them.
While the Israeli military’s assault on Gaza City ramps up, conditions in the south of the war-torn enclave are so cramped that displaced and starving Gazans are sleeping on rubble-strewn open ground, UN aid teams said on Thursday.
