This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
COVID-19Interview with the Resident Coordinator in Guatemala For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and its impact, please visit:
Security CouncilWilliams: “Libya is indeed at a decisive turning point”
Women´s rights will be a central issue at intra-Afghan talks
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ColombiaVerification Mission in Colombia calls for "100 Messages of Peace"
LibyaSpecial Representative visits Egypt
SyriaPedersen: “Progress is happening” Special Envoy visits Russia
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We, the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), reiterate our call for cooperation and dialogue, especially across conflict lines, during this global pandemic.
The GID format remains a crucial venue to address both security and humanitarian concerns, particularly for conflict-affected populations. We welcome the participants’ regular consultations with us during the pandemic, as well as the resumption of the regular meetings of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Ergneti. We encourage the resumption of the Gali IPRM.
However, at the same time, we are concerned that crossing points remain closed. While the pandemic situation requires due caution, some crossing points, such as the one at Odzisi, have been closed for over a year, predating COVID-19. Restrictions on freedom of movement complicate medical treatment, transportation, and communication, as well as access to livelihoods.
We expect all sides to increase their efforts to build trust and confidence, and work constructively with the Co-Chairs, as well as with international humanitarian and human rights organisations.
We look forward to making progress on core agenda items during the next GID round on 6-7 October 2020 in Geneva.
The UN’s top official in Afghanistan has warned that with the formal launch of direct peace negotiations imminent, near-record violence in the country is creating an atmosphere of mistrust that risks derailing long-sought talks between the Government and the Taliban.
The allegation that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by a Cold War-era nerve agent is “a matter of grave concern”, the head of the UN-backed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on Thursday.
The top UN official in Libya urged the Security Council on Wednesday to press for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and a return to negotiations, following the call from rival political leaders for a ceasefire on 21 August.
The world has “entered a volatile and unstable new phase” in terms of the impact of COVID-19 on peace and security, the UN chief told a virtual meeting with world leaders on Wednesday.
The top UN official in the Middle East has hailed an agreement to reduce the latest tensions in and around Gaza amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Independent UN human rights experts on Tuesday called on Belarus to stop torturing detainees and bring to justice police officers who have reportedly humiliated and beaten protestors in their custody, as mass demonstrations over the disputed 9 August presidential election continue for a fourth week.
A peace agreement between Sudanese authorities and key armed movements from Darfur could provide a path to national unity, the head of the joint UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said on Monday.
A peace agreement between Sudanese authorities and key armed movements from Darfur could provide a path to national unity, the head of the joint UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said on Monday. Secretary-General António Guterres later described it as an "historic achievement" towards lasting peace.
The ISG expresses its solidarity with the Lebanese people after the explosion that caused numerous victims and severe damages to residential and commercial infrastructures and sites of cultural and religious heritage in Beirut on 4 August and extends its most heartfelt condolences to the residents of Beirut.
The ISG...
Syrian opponents meeting in Geneva as part of efforts to find a peaceful end to nearly a decade of conflict in their country have found common ground on which to pursue further discussions, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said on Saturday.
New York, 30 August 2020
The crime of enforced disappearance is rife across the world. We see new cases almost daily, including the disappearance of defenders of the environment, who are often indigenous peoples. Meanwhile, the excruciating pain of old cases is still acute, as the fate of thousands of disappeared people remains unknown, making the crime a continuous presence in the lives of the loved ones of the...
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
COVID-19Interview with the Resident Coordinator in Chad For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and its impact, please visit:
Security CouncilMladenov: “There is a moral imperative to end all militant activity in Gaza”
Hennis-Plasschaert: "An electoral reset could open a new and important chapter for Iraq”
Women, Peace and SecurityNew web page on inclusive mediation |
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GabonSpecial Representative meets with the Foreign Minister IraqAccountability for human rights violations during peaceful protests is key
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A new UN report launched on Thursday highlights human rights violations and abuses that were committed during recent demonstrations in Iraq and calls for immediate action for justice.
The COVID-19 pandemic is aggravating deep-rooted economic, social and political challenges in Iraq, but elections in 2021 – if credible - could open a new chapter for the Middle East nation after years of conflict and strife, the UN’s top official in the country said Wednesday.
Achieving a nuclear-free world is the best way to honour lives devastated by these weapons, the UN disarmament chief told a virtual meeting held on Wednesday to commemorate the International Day against Nuclear Tests, observed annually on 29 August.
New York, 29 August 2020
Commemorated annually since 2010 on the anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan, the International Day Against Nuclear Tests takes on special meaning in 2020 in also marking 75 years since the first-ever nuclear test, code named Trinity,...
The recent agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has the potential to change dynamics across the Middle East, the UN’s top envoy in the region told the Security Council on Tuesday, urging Palestinian and Israeli leaders to re-engage in efforts to resolve their protracted conflict.
With Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and other terrorist groups attempting to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic for their own ends, the international community must respond with stronger collective action and cooperation, the top UN counter-terrorism official said on Monday.
New York, 25 August 2020
Tourism is one of the world’s most important economic sectors.
It employs one in every ten people on Earth and provides livelihoods to hundreds of millions more.
It boosts economies and enables countries to thrive.
It allows...
New York, 22 August 2020
The right to freedom of religion or belief is firmly trenched in international human rights law and is a cornerstone for inclusive, prosperous and peaceful societies.
Yet across the world, we continue to witness deep-seated discrimination against religious minorities, attacks on people and religious sites, and hate crimes and atrocity crimes...
In a message published on the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Violence Based on Religious Belief, which falls on 22 August, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of a rise in racism since the spread of COVID-19 across the world.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
COVID-19Peacebuilding - Interview with the Resident Coordinator in The Gambia For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and its impact, please visit:
Security CouncilSyria Envoy calls for immediate nationwide ceasefire to combat COVID-19
Swan: "Progress in Somalia requires a long-term commitment to governance, justice, respect for human rights"
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World Humanitarian DayIraq
African Union
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Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org
The impact of terrorism on victims can “last a lifetime and reverberate across generations”, the UN chief said on Friday during a virtual commemoration for International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
New York, 21 August 2020
Today, we remember and honour all victims of terrorism. We stand by those who grieve and those who continue to endure the physical and psychological wounds of terrorist atrocities.
The impact of terrorism on victims can last a lifetime and reverberate across generations. Traumatic memories cannot be erased, but we can help victims and survivors...
The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has strongly condemned the killing of two activists and attacks against others in the southern city of Basra, urging increased efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The UN on Thursday called for the “constitutional and democratic order” to be restored as soon as possible across Mali, following the military coup, and reiterated a call to respect the rule of law, and refrain from violence.
