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Reports and Policy Documents

2020

  • 11 Nov 2020

    The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday that it is working with Sudanese authorities to help more than 7,000 refugees who have fled Ethiopia over the past two days, following major clashes in the Tigray region of the country. 

  • 11 Nov 2020

    The plight of Yemenis demands “nothing less than a firm bet on peace”, the UN Special Envoy told the Security Council on Wednesday.  

  • 11 Nov 2020

    Shots from the meetings on the third day of the UNSMIL-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum on 11 November 2020 in Tunis.

     

    Footage (B-roll) on Day 3 of the LPDF.. for media use: ...

  • 11 Nov 2020

    Thank you, Madam President, and thank you for this opportunity to update the Council.

    As members are well aware, I have been...

  • 11 Nov 2020

    A need for production and periodic and timely issue of the Bulletin as an information product for timely collection and dissemination of information on water-related, environmental, and climatic...

  • 11 Nov 2020

    A need for production and periodic and timely issue of the Bulletin as an information product for timely collection and dissemination of information on water-related, environmental, and climatic...

  • 11 Nov 2020

    Agathe Telou is the Gender Advisor at UNOWAS. She talks about her role and also about her perspectives as a woman and a mother to advance the participation of women and youth in decision-making processes...

  • 11 Nov 2020

    The United Nations Secretary-General has called on the authorities in Mozambique to investigate brutal killings this past weekend, in the country’s northern Cabo Delgado province, and bring the perpetrators to justice. 

  • 11 Nov 2020

    The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General is on a trip to West Africa and the Sahel region, and on Tuesday, she travelled to Borno state in north-east Nigeria, a region badly affected by conflict and where many continue to live under the threat of Boko Haram insurgency. 

  • 11 Nov 2020

    The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General is on a trip to West Africa and the Sahel region, and on Tuesday, she travelled to Borno state in northeastern Nigeria, a region badly affected by conflict and where many continue to live under the threat of Boko Haram insurgency. 

  • 10 Nov 2020

    UNSMIL strongly condemns the killing of lawyer Hanan al-Barassi, who was shot today, in broad daylight, in Benghazi by unidentified armed men. Ms. al-Barassi had been a vocal critic of corruption,...

  • 10 Nov 2020

    The Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) is urging Libya’s warring parties to implement their recent historic ceasefire agreement, calling it a “welcome concrete development” for a population that has been yearning for peace. 

  • 10 Nov 2020

    Shots from the meetings on the second day of the UNSMIL-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which commenced on 9 November 2020 in Tunis.

    ...
  • 10 Nov 2020

    The people of Tanzania should be allowed to express grievances “without fear of reprisals” after nationwide elections, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday. 

  • 10 Nov 2020

    The United Nations Secretary-General has called on the global community to stand against hatred in all its forms, and to reject the “lies and loathing” which led to the rise of Nazism and which fractures societies today. 

  • 10 Nov 2020

    ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan

    On 10 November 2020, the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) organized an online meeting of the national experts on water and energy cooperation. Representatives from relevant ministries and agencies of the Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, as well as...

  • 9 Nov 2020

    TUNIS, 09 November 2020 - The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) kicked off on Monday 9 November 2020, under the auspices of the United Nations, in the Tunisian capital...

  • 9 Nov 2020

    In order to advance the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement signed in Geneva on 23 October 2020 and to build on the progress achieved last week in Ghadames...

  • 9 Nov 2020

    Continuing violence in the wake of elections in  Cote d’Ivoire’s presidential elections held on 31 October, prompted the UN human rights chief on Monday to call for a peaceful solution, saying it was in “nobody’s interests to fuel the threat of increasing political instability”.

  • 9 Nov 2020

    Talks to draw up a blueprint for a new political era in Libya began in Tunisia on Monday, following a peace deal struck by Libya’s warring sides last month.

     

  • 9 Nov 2020

    Shots from the meetings on the first day of the UNSMIL-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which commenced on 9 November 2020 in Tunis.

    Download High Definition photos here:  ...

  • 9 Nov 2020

    Mogadishu – Ahead of Somalia’s elections, the importance of the media’s role in the upcoming electoral process was centre-stage as a group of journalists gathered for an intensive,...

  • 9 Nov 2020

    Your excellency the President of the Republic of Tunisia Qais Said

    I would like to thank His Excellency, the...

  • 9 Nov 2020

    Scenes from the opening ceremony of the UNSMIL-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum  in Tunis: 

    Address of the Acting Representatives of the Secretary-General for and Head of...
  • 9 Nov 2020

    Good afternoon

    Let me start by thanking you for the trust you place in the United Nations, and for the kind words you have addressed to me and UNSMIL team.  We are honored by...

  • 9 Nov 2020

    Arrival of the Tunisian president Kais Saied at the plenary hall of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) at Foor Seasons Hotel, Tunis, where he was welcomed by the Actin Special Representative of...

  • 8 Nov 2020

    Some 13 million people in the central Sahel region of north Africa require urgent humanitarian assistance, due to violence, insecurity and extreme weather events. Behind these stark figures lie personal stories of tragedy, resilience and hope.

  • 8 Nov 2020

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  • 8 Nov 2020

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  • 8 Nov 2020

    UNSMIL welcomes the decision by the Civil Aviation Authority on 4 November 2020 to permit the resumption of flights to all airports in the Southern region of Libya. This decision is a product of the confidence that has been built as...

  • 6 Nov 2020

    The UN human rights chief called on Friday for the de-escalation of violence and military clashes across parts of Ethiopia, urging all those involved to “engage in a genuine, inclusive and credible dialogue to solve any differences through peaceful means”.

  • 6 Nov 2020


    31 October - 6 November 2020

    This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.

    Afghanistan

    UNAMA’s Human Rights Chief: “Protecting journalists is protecting people’s right to know”
    The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) and the UN on 5 November jointly hosted a conference in Kabul with media, government and civil society to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, with participants highlighting the particular importance of press freedom during peace talks. “Attacks against journalists have often a major objective: to silence them. When governments fail to bring to justice those responsible for such attacks, they are effectively exercising a form of censorship, muzzling those who dare to report and chilling others into silence. Protecting journalists is protecting people’s right to know, to have access to information and to be informed”, said UNAMA’s Human Rights Chief, Fiona Frazer.
    Read more here

     

    Iraq

    New report on women’s participation in political life
    UNAMI, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Iraq Foundation, on 31 October launched a new report on women’s participation in political life in Iraq which documents the challenges faced by women running for elected public office and the factors influencing voter choices regarding women candidates. The report also proposes a set of recommendations to overcome these challenges.  Women's participation in political processes in Iraq is hampered by many obstacles, despite Iraqi women’s determination to engage in the public sphere. In 2020, Iraq ranked 70th worldwide in terms of women holding seats in parliament.
    Read more here 


    Special Representative visits Kurdistan
    Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Representative and Head of UNAMI, on 4 November visited Kurdistan. In Erbil, she met separately with Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region and Rêber Ahmed, Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Region. They discussed the current political and security situation in the country and the region, as well as the recent agreement between the Federal Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government on the status of Sinjar district in Ninewa.

     

    Syria

    Special Envoy visits Egypt
    Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy for Syria, on 5 November visited the Egyptian capital Cairo. Mr. Pedersen met with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and briefed him on his vision for a political settlement to the Syrian crisis and his talks with various parties to resolve the issue. The Foreign Minister reiterated Egypt's stance that supports "a political settlement to the crisis based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, in a manner that preserves the unity of Syria and the independence of its political decision." Mr. Pedersen also held similar discussions with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit.

     

    Cameroon

    Special Representative visits Cameroon
    François Louncény Fall, Special Representative and Head of UNOCA, on 2 November, began an official visit to Cameroon. In Yaounde, he was received by the Minister of External Relations, Mr. Lejeune Mbella Mbella. They discussed the latest developments in the country and in Central Africa. 

     

    South Sudan

    National Dialogue Conference
    Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, attended the National Dialogue Conference of South Sudan from 2 to 5 November. He congratulated the President of South Sudan for having initiated the process and guaranteeing its independence. He also emphasized that the process is a quintessential requirement for nation-building and congratulated the co-chairs of the National Dialogue for their bold and forward-looking recommendations for attaining peace and stability in South Sudan. While in Juba, Mr. Onanga-Anyanga paid a courtesy call to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and consulted with Kenya’s Special Envoy to South Sudan. The Special Envoy is mandated to maintain peaceful relations between Sudan and South Sudan and, in this regard, he also met with the South Sudan-appointed Administrator of Abyei during his visit.

     

    Colombia

    More than two thousand former combatants marched to Bogotá to defend peace
    Local and regional teams of the UN Verification Mission, including Special Representative Carlos Ruiz Massieu, accompanied the “pilgrimage for peace and life” of more than 2,000 former FARC combatants made during this week from various regions of the country. The pilgrimage ended in the capital Bogotá. Mr. Ruiz Massieu met with national and local leaders of the former combatants to hear their concerns about security and reintegration issues. “We will continue to work on the ground, at the national level in advocacy with the national government so that more and better things can be done for your protection, and in general for the implementation of the Agreement,” Ruiz Massieu said. The former combatants also promoted several public events in the principal plaza of the city next to the National Congress, where they exhibited the products of their productive projects.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Peacebuilding

    Annual Session of the Peacebuilding Commission
    The Peacebuilding Commission dedicated its 2020 session on 2 November to advancing options to ensure predictable and sustainable financing for peacebuilding. The meeting had briefings by the Secretary-General (recorded message), the Chair of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee, the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Regional Development, the World Bank's Senior Director for Fragility, Conflict & Violence, the Chair of the Peacebuilding Fund’s Advisory Group; and the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Mali’s Laham Industries. Member States stressed the inextricable links between humanitarian, development, peace and security initiatives, and in that regard urged for more robust action to ensure coherent UN action in the field with stronger focus on efficiency and results and called for deeper exploration of innovative financing and even stronger UN/IFIs collaboration for peacebuilding. Watch the meeting here




    Interview with the Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan
    In “Building Peace during the Pandemic” this week, Sezin Sinanoglu, UN Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan, spoke with Marc-André Franche, Chief, Financing for Peacebuilding, Peacebuilding Support Office, about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people of Tajikistan. Ms. Sinanoglu explained how the pandemic had caused economic hardship and led to increased tensions within the society due to socio-economic losses. She highlighted how the UN Country Team had led coordination efforts with development partners and immediately put together an effective mechanism to collect information and discuss and understand how different sectors were progressing in the current situation. The UN also developed an integrated socio-economic framework that looked at key pillars impacted by the pandemic including health, education, peace and social cohesion. Ms. Sinanoglu emphasized how the UN is committed to cross-border efforts and is increasingly identifying ways and means to continue the dialogue among the communities and the government.
    Watch here
     

    Peacebuilding Commission meeting on the Great Lakes region
    The PBC on 4 November held its second meeting this year on the Great Lakes to discuss the role of women in building peace and promoting development in the region. The meeting followed a series of regional consultations on women, peace and security that were organized by Huang Xia, Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, during the summer, specifically to inform PBC engagement in the region. Recommendations on how to empower women and youth as agents of social and economic transformation, particularly in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how to prevent all forms of violence against women and to guarantee their meaningful participation in political processes and peacebuilding were discussed. Member States recognized wide-ranging African Union and UN efforts to bolster the central role of women in national economies and transborder trade but warned that the lack of adequate financing for peacebuilding might jeopardise the sustainability of such initiatives. They called for strengthened support for the implementation of the 1325 regional plan of action, noting that the new UN Strategy for the Great Lakes should be helpful in that regard. They highlighted the critical role of the PBF and called for its replenishment so that it can continue to support women-led cross-border projects in the region.
    Full recording of the meeting here

     

    Next Week

    Event on Climate Change and Women, Peace and Security
    On Tuesday 10 November at 11:45AM EDT, Security Council members will take part in a discussion on Climate and Security: An Emerging Context in a New Era for Women, Peace and Security. The objective of this side-event to the 2020 Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security is to discuss a way forward for fully integrating climate change considerations into the WPS agenda and – likewise – to ensure that gender is on the agenda in debates and discussions related to climate change and security.
    Register here

     

    Security Council
    On Wednesday 11 November, Special Envoy Martin Griffiths will update the Security Council on the situation in Yemen.
    Updated Security Council programme

     

    The Work of Peace

    Virtual exhibit
    Remember to check out our virtual exhibit: The Work of Peace. It highlights the UN’s key role in preventive diplomacy, good offices, mediation and elections over the past 75 years, and looks ahead at what the future may hold for this work.
    Enter here

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


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    Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org

  • 6 Nov 2020

    The UN Secretary-General has called for better management of natural resources and ecosystems, highlighting that doing so could pave a path towards peace in war-torn societies and help crisis-affected countries boost sustainable development. 

  • 5 Nov 2020

    The top UN disarmament official on Thursday briefed the Security Council on progress made by Syria towards eliminating its chemicals weapons programme, complicated by the coronavirus pandemic.

  • 5 Nov 2020

    UN agencies, together with other international NGOs, are calling on Israel to better protect Palestinian farmers from violence by Israeli settlers, as they bring in their traditional olive harvest - crucial to livelihoods - and ensure families can access their land “freely and safely”.

  • 5 Nov 2020

    Despite significant progress made in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the signing of a peace deal 25 years ago this month, some politicians continue to ignore “core European values” and even glorify war criminals, the international community’s High Representative for the country told the Security Council on Thursday.  

  • 5 Nov 2020

    New York, 6 November 2020

    Conflict and the environment are deeply interlinked. Around the world, at least 40 per...

  • 5 Nov 2020

    Ms. Oulimata Sarr, Regional Director for...

  • 5 Nov 2020

    KABUL – The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) and the United Nations jointly-hosted a conference today in Kabul with media, government and civil society to mark the International Day to End...

  • 5 Nov 2020

    New York, 5 November 2020

    We live in a multi-hazard world where risk is systemic and embedded in the very fabric of human development.

    ...
  • 4 Nov 2020

    The Security Council on Wednesday was briefed on the “vital role” UN Police play across the whole spectrum of the world body’s work, from “conflict prevention to peacekeeping to peacebuilding".   

  • 4 Nov 2020

    Military officers from Libya’s warring parties have agreed practical steps towards implementing a ceasefire agreement, following the signing of an historic accord in Geneva last month, the UN mission in the country, UNSMIL, has reported. 

  • 4 Nov 2020

    The leaders of the divided island of Cyprus have met in the capital Nicosia, in an  encounter convened by the United Nations, the Secretary-General’s Good Offices Mission in Cyprus said on Tuesday.

  • 3 Nov 2020

    The UN Deputy Secretary-General on Tuesday urged the Security Council to do more to encourage combatants across the world to put down their guns and focus instead on fighting “our common enemy” – the coronavirus.

  • 3 Nov 2020

    Independent UN experts criticized Belarus on Tuesday for persecuting women human rights defenders, who have been involved in the mass protests underway in the country since August’s controversial presidential election. 

  • 3 Nov 2020

    Inclusive dialogue is crucial to diffuse tensions across Ethiopia, said the UN Secretary-General on Tuesday, following reports of dozens killed and injured during brutal attacks in the west of the country over the weekend.

  • 3 Nov 2020
  • 3 Nov 2020

    Several thousand people have fled from election-related violence in Côte d'Ivoire to seek sanctuary in neighbouring Liberia, Ghana and Togo, fearing a repeat of the major conflict that followed the election in 2011, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Tuesday.  

  • 2 Nov 2020

    The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned the violent attacks in the Austrian capital, Vienna, which left at least two people dead and several others wounded. 

  • 2 Nov 2020

    The Conceptual Approach provides a systematic way to understanding and addressing the linkages between climate change, peace and security. It was developed by the Climate Security Mechanism in collaboration with partners from across and beyond the UN system. It is meant to foster a shared approach to the analysis of climate-related security risks in the UN system and shape integrated and timely responses.