The UN's top human rights official has called on the parties to the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region to give “clear and unambiguous orders” to their forces not to target civilians, and protect them from assault.
In response to questions on a reported missile attack today, the Spokesman had the following to say:
The Secretary-General expresses concern over the reported missile attack on Aramco oil facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for which the Houthis have claimed responsibility.
The Secretary-General recalls that attacks targeting civilian targets and infrastructure violate international humanitarian law...
The UN on Monday said it was “extremely concerned” over the safety of civilians across Ethiopia’s Tigray region, as fighting between Government troops and those loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) reportedly continued, with the Ethiopian Prime Minister having called on opposition forces to surrender the capital Mekelle, by Wednesday.
COVID-19 continues to pose considerable challenges to conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding while it exacerbates the conditions that can lead to violence. But we are also witnessing resilience, innovation and inclusive political action in response to the pandemic. DPPA is closely monitoring the implications of the pandemic in mission settings and countries with fragile political transitions. This report provides an update of DPPA’s key milestones and achievements during the third quarter of 2020.
Two top UN officials called for an end to the long-running conflict in Afghanistan on Monday, telling a major conference in Geneva that normality could only return to the country if there was a sustained ceasefire.
The “broad political consensus” reached in September that ended a two-year stalemate in Somalia must be “preserved and indeed deepened”, the country’s UN envoy told the Security Council on Monday.
KABUL, 22 November - The Afghanistan 2020 Conference will be webcast live on http://webtv.un.org...
The UN Secretary-General has condemned rocket attacks in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on Saturday which killed at least eight civilians and wounded many more.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the African Union’s (AU) appointment of three high-level envoys to help resolve the conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, calling it an "initiative for peace.”
In the West African country of Sierra Leone, the UN is supporting a government programme, training women and men to take on leadership roles in areas such as peacebuilding, with the aim of promoting peace and non-violence.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
Security CouncilMladenov: The international community must act swiftly to provide the necessary resources for UNRWA
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IraqSpecial Representative meets with President and Prime MinisterJeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Representative and Head of UNAMI, was received in Baghdad by the President of the Republic of Iraq, Dr. Barham Salih, on 14 November. They discussed the political and security situation in the country, notably preparations for the upcoming early elections and the fight against remaining ISIL cells. On 15 November, Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert met with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, with whom she discussed the current political and humanitarian situation in the country, with special emphasis on the preparations for the upcoming early elections. Colombia Tree-planting in Quibdó Former FARC-EP combatants and community representatives participated in a tree-planting activity on 18 November sponsored by the UN Verification Mission in Colombia and the UN Development Programme. One hundred trees donated by the Autonomous Regional Corporation for the Sustainable Development of Chocó (CODECHOCO) were planted in Quibdó, Chocó, western Colombia, to protect water sources on plots of land destined for a collective fish reintegration project. More trees will be planted in the coming months. The Agency for Reintegration and Normalization (ARN) and the National Learning Service (SENA) also participated in the event.
New report on challenges and opportunities to local mediation DPPA’s Mediation Support Unit launched on 17 November a new report on UN support to local mediation and approaches. The report summarizes early insights emerging from this line of work and discusses opportunities and challenges presented by the UN’s engagement at the local level, as well as its strategic relevance to the Organization’s peacemaking efforts. Read more here
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Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org
Yemen is in “imminent danger of the worst famine the world has seen for decades”, the UN chief warned in a statement released on Friday, calling for urgent action on the part of the international community to “stave off catastrophe”.
The coronavirus pandemic has not only exacted a terrible toll on human lives, health and economies, it has also exacerbated existing conflicts, a UN forum heard on Thursday, with top officials urging global solidarity in the fight against COVID-19.
In a briefing to journalists on Thursday, a senior UN humanitarian official in Sudan recounted moving testimony from refugees who are crossing the border from Ethiopia in their thousands, fleeing fighting in Tigray province.
Following years of political instability and conflict, Libya is making substantial progress on the path to peace, the top UN official in the country told the Security Council on Thursday.
Refugee resettlement numbers will be at a “record low” this year, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday, with only 15,425 people resettled in the first nine months of 2020, compared to more than 50,000 in 2019.
New York, 19 November 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the importance of sanitation, safe water and handwashing facilities to stop the spread of infectious diseases. Everyone should have access to hygienic, safe, sustainable sanitation. That is the only way to ensure health for all.
But around the world today, 4.2 billion people are without safe...
New York, 19 November 2020
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to this very important discussion on racism in the workplace.
I want to thank Dr. Kanem and our distinguished panel members who bring impressive expertise to this difficult issue.
...New-York, 19 November 2020
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to this very important discussion on racism in the workplace.
I want to thank Dr. Kanem and our distinguished panel members who bring impressive expertise to this difficult issue.
Racism is a persistent scourge of our world.
...
With COVID-19 cases on the rise in the Middle East following weeks of decline, the top UN official in the region has welcomed the Palestinian Authority’s decision to resume coordination with Israel.
Madame President,
Members of the Security Council,
Allow me first to extend my deepest condolences for their profound loss to the family of former Palestinian Chief Negotiator and Secretary General of the PLO, Dr. Saeb Erekat, to the Palestinian Government and to the Palestinian people.
Saeb, as we all know, dedicated his life to the peaceful...
Over 1,000 people have been killed and more than 400 abducted in the past six months in intercommunal violence in South Sudan, amid fears that tensions may worsen with the onset of the dry season, the UN envoy for the country has said.
A “full-scale humanitarian crisis” is unfolding as thousands of refugees flee ongoing fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region each day to seek safety in eastern Sudan, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday.
Highlighting the importance of the UN Security Council to address peace and security challenges in an increasingly complex world, the President of the General Assembly has called on ambassadors to drive through “true reforms”, to make the body more effective.
