In a message to commemorate the 25-year anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, UN chief António Guterres has warned of dangerous trends of rising xenophobia, racism and intolerance in many parts of the world.
In a message to commemorate the 25-year anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, UN chief António Guterres has warned of dangerous trends of rising xenophobia, racism and intolerance in many parts of the world.
In a message to commemorate the 25-year anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi, during which Hutu and others who opposed the genocide were also killed, UN chief António Guterres has warned of dangerous trends of rising xenophobia, racism and intolerance in many parts of the world.
The United Nations Secretary-General left Libya on Friday voicing his hope that the divided country can “avoid a bloody confrontation” in and around the capital Tripoli.
Intensifying clashes between the Myanmar military and armed separatists that reportedly involved a deadly helicopter bombing raid on civilians earlier this week in Rakhine state, have been condemned by the UN human rights office, OHCHR.
Helping to promote a “Libyan-led and Libyan owned political solution” to resolve years of instability and insecurity there that puts the “welfare of the Libyan people” first, is the sole agenda of the United Nations within the country, Secretary-General António Guterres told a press conference in the nation’s capital, Tripoli on Thursday.
The path towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development must be “clear of landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (IEDs)”, the United Nations Secretary-General said on Thursday, International Mine Awareness Day.
A senior commander from Argentina, who has been deployed to the United Nations peacekeeping mission on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, has said that serving the UN is a “great opportunity” to develop professionally and personally.
The UN chief has expressed his deep concern by the reported advance of forces based in the east, towards the Libyan capital, Tripoli, declaring that “there is no military solution” to restoring peace and stability to the country.
Celebrating the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told an event in New York on Wednesday - headquarters of team UN - that “sport helps find common ground” during times of division.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has paid tribute to the role played by Egypt in helping to avoid a “dramatic” escalation of violence in Gaza over recent months, as tensions grew over Palestinian protests at the border, Hamas rocket attacks, and reprisal airstrikes by Israel.
The 47th round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) took place today.
In Working Group I, the Co-Chairs (UN Representative Cihan Sultanoğlu, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Rudolf Michalka and EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar) noted that the security situation on the ground had been challenged especially by the death of Georgian citizen Irakli Kvaratskhelia in the custody of Russian Federation Border Guards in the Gali district on 10 March 2019, as well as the temporary restrictions and closures of crossing points imposed in January 2019.
Regarding the death of Mr Kvaratskhelia, the Co-Chairs called on the relevant participants to share all existing information in a timely manner.On the restrictions and closures, the Co-Chairs and Co-Moderators reiterated that these measures were not justified as a means to providing public health benefits. They stressed that both the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) and the hotlines should have been used.
Participants highlighted the importance of the IPRMs and the work of the Ergneti IPRM was positively assessed. The necessity of resuming the Gali IPRM without preconditions and further delay was stressed.
Concerns regarding military activities in the region were expressed. The Co-Chairs underlined the importance of providing advance notice on this and other sensitive issues.
Participants exchanged views on the agenda item on “non-use of force and international security arrangements,” benefiting from a corresponding information session.
In Working Group II, the participants reviewed the humanitarian situation on the ground, including the impact of the temporary restrictions and closures of crossing points. They also discussed issues relating to documentation, freedom of movement, missing persons, public health, education, livelihoods and environmental challenges. Unfortunately, due to a walkout by some participants, the issue of internally displaced persons/refugees could not be addressed. The Co-Chairs and Co-Moderators renewed their call for participants to engage constructively on all agenda items.
The participants agreed to hold the next GID round on 2-3 July 2019.
With the end of the UN’s peacekeeping presence in Haiti in sight, the UN’s human rights chief told the Security Council on Wednesday that the country now stands “at the crossroads between peacekeeping and development”, urging all concerned parties to continue building on progress made, or “risk losing it” altogether.
In the wake of the resignation in Algeria of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the UN Secretary-General on Wednesday saluted “the mature and calm nature” of protests involving hundreds of thousands of citizens who took to the streets peacefully in recent weeks, to express “their desire for change.”
From killing and maiming, to recruitment, sexual abuse and abduction, “violence against children in armed conflict can take many forms”, said Secretary-General António Guterres, in a special message delivered at the launch of a new UN advocacy campaign on Tuesday - Act to Protect Children Affected by Conflict.
In a world defined by “competition over cooperation, and the acquisition of arms, prioritized over the pursuit of diplomacy”, the threat of a nuclear weapon being used is “higher than it has been in generations,” the Security Council heard on Tuesday.
For the past year the United Nations has engaged constructively with Egypt and all concerned parties to avoid escalation, relieve the suffering of people in Gaza, lift the closures, and support intra-Palestinian reconciliation. I welcome the efforts of all sides to do their utmost to avoid escalation and any further unnecessary bloodshed and destruction.
To date significant headway has been made on the implementation...
With the rights and lives of millions of women, children and men uprooted by conflict every year, the UN Security Council held a special meeting on Monday to examine ways to promote and strengthen the rule of law, especially in the humanitarian field.
Attending the Summit of the League of Arab States in Tunis, Tunisia, on Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, recognized the critical importance of the region on the international stage and called for even stronger cooperation between the UN and the Arab States.
Secretary-General António Guterres said he is hopeful for a solution to the eight-year long conflict in Libya, after a high-level meeting in Tunis, Tunisia, on Saturday with officials from the Arab League, the European Union and the African Union.
Appearing before the Security Council on Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the only way to prevent increased violence and instability in Mali is to tackle root causes such as grinding poverty; climate change and competition for resources; underdevelopment, and a fundamental lack of opportunities for young people.
United Nations Peacekeeping missions are working flat out and need to be made “stronger and safer”, Secretary-General António Guterres told a major ministerial pledging conference on Friday, stressing that “critical” gaps must be bridged, so they can deliver better, on behalf of the people they serve.
With a large protest planned on Saturday in Gaza, and border shootings by Israeli security forces which have left nearly 200 Palestinians dead over the past year, the UN’s top humanitarian official in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt), Jamie McGoldrick, on Friday called for calm from all sides to prevent further bloodshed.
A rise in new cases of deadly Ebola virus disease in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been announced, while authorities say that progress is being made in accessing communities that have been wary of outside help, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, expressed on Thursday his deepest concern and strongly condemned recent attacks against villages in Mali, including mass-killings last weekend in the Mopti region, which left 160 dead, including some 50 children, according to the UN human rights office (OHCHR).
The UN is hailing a new Security Council resolution adopted on Thursday as a landmark step in suppressing the funding of terror groups worldwide.
A majority of Security Council members on Wednesday stressed the importance of upholding international law regarding the occupied Golan Heights, in the face of the unilateral move by the United States to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over them.
The Security Council decided today to extend until 31 March 2020 the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), as previously set out in resolution 2158 (2014), and requested the Mission to maintain and strengthen its presence throughout the country, as the security situation allows.Unanimously adopting resolution 2461 (2019), the Council urged the Federal Government of...
Mr. President,
During the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, the Syrian Arab Army crossed the 1967 ceasefire-line on the Golan, known as the Purple Line, initially gaining territory. In a swift counter-attack, Israeli Defense Forces re-captured the lost ground and advanced further, crossing the 1967 ceasefire line and occupying a salient portion of Syrian territory. The conflict quickly reached an unstable stalemate with tensions remaining high for months.
Following US-led diplomatic efforts, on 31 May 1974, Israel and Syria signed the Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria. On the same day, the Security Council welcomed the Disengagement of Forces Agreement and, through Security Council resolution 350 (1974), in accordance with the Protocol to the Disengagement Agreement, established UNDOF.
The situation in the Golan remained generally calm until 2011, when fighting between the Syrian armed forces and armed opposition groups began. In 2018, the Syrian Government re-established full control of the area known as the Bravo Side, thus re-establishing a status quo ante. Throughout this period, Israel has periodically stressed the critical importance of the Golan to its security.
On 25 March 2019, US President Donald Trump signed an official proclamation recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan. The Secretary-General has taken note of this development, including Member States’ reactions to the US decision.
Let me reiterate the Secretary-General’s statement that the UN position on the Golan is known and clear. That position is reflected in the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, notably Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 497 (1981).
We hope that the recent developments will not be used as an excuse by anyone to pursue actions that could undermine the relative stability of the situation on Golan and beyond. We will continue to closely monitor developments on the ground and will keep the Council informed, as appropriate.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Eight years ago this month, the Syria conflict began, leading to a humanitarian crisis that remains “far from over”, the UN Security Council heard on Wednesday. 11.7 million need humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 5.6 million Syrians are living as refugees across the region.
UN human rights staff in Yemen are investigating an apparent airstrike on a hospital in opposition-held territory which reportedly killed at least seven civilians on Tuesday, amid fears that cholera is spreading “like wildfire”, one of the organization’s senior humanitarian officials has warned.
Mr. President and Members of the Council.
Earlier this month, the Syrian conflict entered its ninth year – there have been eight long, horrendous years of suffering by the Syrian people. And it seems far from over.
The Secretary-General has watched, with great concern, the situation in Idlib deteriorate in recent weeks amid escalating violence. We’ve seen reports of exchanges of artillery and mortars; of airstrikes, some reported to have hit civilian targets, causing civilian casualties and further displacement of tens of thousands. There are reports of rocket attacks and cross-line raids by HTS which have resulted in casualties among government soldiers and civilians. The United Nations is worried about the strain this escalation has placed on the Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and Turkey that, since September 2018, has largely contained the scope of military operations in the area. We hope the recently announced coordinated patrols by Russia and Turkey will help avoid further escalation in the northwest, and urge them to uphold their agreed arrangements for Idlib and press all concerned to halt violence and stabilize a dangerous situation.
We also call on the guarantors to work together to address the issue of Security Council-listed terrorist groups in full compliance with international humanitarian law. This is essential to avoid mass displacement, and yet another humanitarian catastrophe from unfolding.
Last week, the Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the US-led international coalition, proclaimed the capture of Baghouz, the last remaining territory held by ISIL in Syria. This is an important advance in combatting terrorist groups, who have inflicted untold misery on countless victims. Much work remains, however, to fully address ISIL’s threat. Meanwhile, thousands, mostly women and children, are fleeing counter-ISIL operations in Deir ez Zor and have found their way to al Hol camp in Hasakah province. More than 140 people have died on the road or shortly after arriving at al Hol camp. There is a desperate need to maintain and ramp up the response to meet the humanitarian and protection needs of some 72,000 people there, with thousands more expected to arrive.
In the northeast, the United Nations is strongly encouraging international diplomatic efforts to ensure military escalation is avoided at all costs. Any escalation in the northeast could lead to devastating consequences for civilians and could create conditions conducive for ISIL’s re-emergence.
I reiterate the Secretary-General’s reminder to the international community, counter-terrorism operations cannot override the responsibilities to protect civilians.
You will soon hear from my OCHA colleague, but I add my own call for sustained and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian relief to civilians throughout Syria. But, in particular, to Rukban, where the United Nations last delivered assistance in mid-February. We have had reports that other commercial routes have been cut leaving the settlement’s inhabitants in an even more vulnerable position. The United Nations is working with all parties to find a durable solution, including relocation of the settlement’s residents to their areas of origin or of their choosing.
A durable solution can only succeed through a carefully planned, principled approach that ensures respect for core protection standards. It requires constructive engagement and coordination by all parties involved—the Syrian government, the armed opposition group present in the settlement, Russia, the United States, and Jordan. Meanwhile, the United Nations is awaiting approval from the government for humanitarian access for a third convoy of life-saving assistance. I urge all parties to cooperate constructively and with the sense of urgency that these humanitarian issues deserve.
Mr. President,
Sustained de-escalation towards an eventual nation-wide ceasefire and tangible improvements for Syrian lives are essential for a credible political process that can achieve the full implementation of Security Council resolution 2254. In that regard, Special Envoy Pedersen has been seeking to advance the five goals outlined to this Council on 28 February. The goals are:
First: To begin and deepen a sustained dialogue with the Syrian government and the opposition on building trust and confidence towards a safe, calm and neutral environment;
Second: To see more concrete action on detainees, abductees and missing persons;
Third: To engage and involve a wide range of Syrians in the political process;
Fourth: To convene a credible, balanced and inclusive constitutional committee as soon as possible; and
Fifth: To help the international parties deepen their own dialogue towards the common purpose of a credible and sustainable political settlement of the Syrian conflict that can enjoy international legitimacy.
On the first goal, the Special Envoy held a second meeting with the Government of Syria in Damascus and a second meeting with the opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission in Riyadh. Both consultations have gone into depth on the issues covered in resolution 2254. No subject has been off limits and both parties welcome a broad-ranging dialogue. This kind of regular and deep engagement is necessary to identify concrete steps to build trust and confidence towards a safe, calm, and neutral environment.
Our second goal – concrete action on the release of detainees/abductees and the clarification of the fate of missing persons – was also raised in depth with the Government and the opposition. On 18 March in Moscow, the Office of the Special Envoy put forward a number of concrete suggestions to the Working Group on detainees, abductees, and missing persons, of which the United Nations is a member along with Iran, Russia, and Turkey. A key United Nations request was to move beyond one-for-one exchanges and focus on simultaneous release of unequal numbers, which was met with no objection from other members of the Working Group.
However, details about the next release operation, including numbers of those to be released, timing of the release, and monitoring of the release, still need to be worked out in close cooperation with the Syrian parties. Furthermore, the United Nations has proposed that the Working Group meets in Geneva in the near future. Ultimately, the Secretary-General wants these discussions to move from good words to good deeds, and see the release of as many detained persons as possible and clarify the fate of missing persons.
Progress on this file could build confidence that a new Syria is possible, especially for those that want to return. So many Syrian families have been affected and they yearn to see the issue meaningfully addressed.
Mr. President,
On the third goal, engagement continues to ensure that the priorities and voices of a broad range of Syrians – within Syria and across the diaspora - are included in the political process. Most recently, the United Nations heard the diverse voices of the Women’s Advisory Board and the Syrian civil society during the Brussels III conference. We heard about how the conflict has impacted their lives, but also about their strength and resilience in responding to the terrible needs wrought by this conflict. Such broad-based engagement, with all dimensions of Syrian society helps to strengthen Syrian ownership in shaping its future. These necessary, but difficult, discussions are a microcosm of the meaningful engagement required from both of the negotiating parties. The issues affecting Syrians, including obstacles preventing voluntary, safe and dignified returns, must be addressed. A political settlement that meets their needs and legitimate aspirations would help to advance this.
On the Constitutional Committee – the fourth goal to open the door to a broader political process – the discussions so far, including with the Government and the opposition, have led to an agreement, in principle, that a viable launch of a constitutional committee would require a set of understandings to regulate its work.
This would need to include understandings regarding the committee’s mandate, structure, voting and chairing arrangements, the United Nations facilitation role, and assurances regarding the safety and security of all constitutional committee participants. Discussions are also continuing to facilitate the finalization of the “middle third” list of committee members. There are no artificial deadlines, but the Special Envoy hopes now to be able to move forward as soon as possible to convene a credible, balanced, inclusive and viable constitutional committee under United Nations auspices in Geneva. We must remain committed to seeking to a minimum of 30 percent women’s representation on the committee.
The fifth goal is to improve international dialogue and cooperation on Syria. The situations in Idlib, Rukban and al-Hol, the uncertainty over the north-east, and the potential for regional escalation all underscore the need for such continuous cooperation. We must avoid misunderstandings and actions that could escalate matters.
In this regard, the Secretary-General has taken note of the developments regarding the occupied Syrian Golan. The United Nations position is determined by the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on this issue. The efforts of the United Nations to facilitate a political process in Syria in accordance with resolution 2254 will continue to fully uphold the principles of Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity.
Finally,
We welcome the generosity expressed by the donors at the Brussels conference in their record pledges to support the Syrian people and the wide expressions of support by all attendees for a political settlement for Syria under United Nations auspices.
As the Secretary-General reminded us on the grim anniversary of this conflict, it is a moral obligation and a political imperative for the international community to support Syrians to unite around a vision that addresses the root causes of the conflict and forges a negotiated political solution in accordance with this Council’s own resolution 2254.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The UN’s outgoing Special Envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes region on Tuesday said countries there had made “important steps towards durable peace and stability” in the last 20 years, resulting in a region that is now “largely peaceful”.
Training gender advisors and focal points in the Central African Republic (CAR) has earned a Brazilian United Nations peacekeeper a special gender advocate award, it was announced on Tuesday.