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Reports and Policy Documents

2020

  • 3 Sep 2020

    @UNICEF Yemen/Ansar

    A meeting between the Group of Nine, a coalition of Yemeni women’s organizations and networks supporting the implementation of UN...

  • 2 Sep 2020

    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.

  • 2 Sep 2020

    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.

  • 2 Sep 2020

    Mr. President (Ambassador Abdou Abarry of Niger), Excellencies,

     

    Allow me to congratulate Niger for assuming the...

  • 2 Sep 2020

    The United Nations turns 75 this year. Somalia has been a proud member of the UN for 60 of those years. 

    The United Nations was created out of the ashes of World War II, with the aim...

  • 1 Sep 2020

    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. 

  • 1 Sep 2020

    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. 

  • 31 Aug 2020

    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. 

  • 31 Aug 2020

    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.

  • 30 Aug 2020
     

    Floods | FAO provides early warning alerts to communities...

  • 30 Aug 2020

    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...

  • 29 Aug 2020

    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.

  • 29 Aug 2020

    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...

  • 29 Aug 2020

    A group of 20 people from the La Plancha community, in Anorí Antioquia, who are preparing for reintegration, is carrying out a beekeeping project, with support from Paso Colombia, and Sena. The UN Verification Mission in Colombia is...

  • 29 Aug 2020

    Since quarantine was decreed in Colombia, numbers of gender-based violence have increased. Just in Nariño, between January and May 2020, 584 cases of violence against women have been reported, according to...

  • 29 Aug 2020

    The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, is deeply concerned by the major fuel shortages in...

  • 29 Aug 2020

    TRIPOLI – Libya is witnessing a dramatic turn of events that underlines the urgent need to return to a full and inclusive political process that will meet the aspirations of the Libyan people for representative...

  • 28 Aug 2020

     

    22 - 28 August 2020

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

    COVID-19

    Interview with the Resident Coordinator in Chad
    In the video series “Building Peace During the Pandemic”, Violet Kakyomya, UN Resident Coordinator in Chad, spoke with Marc-André Franche, Chief, Financing for Peacebuilding Branch, Peacebuilding Support Office, about peacebuilding dynamics in Chad and bordering countries. Ms. Kakyomya explained how the security situation in Chad has been adversely affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has led to the displacement of thousands of people. Many young women and men are in a vulnerable condition as their livelihoods have been impacted due to border closures. The UN Country Team is working closely with the government authorities to support Chad in its peacebuilding efforts. Ms. Kakyomya commended the efforts of some 200 ‘listening groups’ in the Niger-Chad border area who work with communities on the matters of mediation and peacebuilding and how rapidly these groups incorporated the Covid-19 prevention activities in their work. She also highlighted the role of the civil society organizations who mobilized efforts to sensitize the public on measures for protecting themselves against the corona virus by circulating information through various mediums.
    Watch here

    For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and its impact, please visit:   
    WHO website  
    UN coronavirus website 

     

    Security Council

    Mladenov: “There is a moral imperative to end all militant activity in Gaza”
    Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov on 25 August briefed the Security Council on the Middle East Peace Process. “Recently, the security situation in Gaza has also deteriorated; a trend which soon may become irreversible,” Mr. Mladenov said. “There is a moral imperative to end all militant activity in Gaza, restore Palestinian national unity and lift Israeli closures,” the Special Coordinator concluded.
    Read his full remarks here
    Read more in UN News


     

     

    Hennis-Plasschaert: "An electoral reset could open a new and important chapter for Iraq”
    Special Representative Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert on 26 August briefed the Council on the situation in Iraq and the work of UNAMI in the country. “Restoring public trust is hard work. And within that context, free and fair elections will prove crucial. An electoral reset’ could open a new and important chapter for Iraq. But for this to happen, the elections must be credible,” Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert said. On corruption, the Special Representative noted that: “it continues to steal desperately needed resources from the everyday Iraqi, eroding investor confidence. Crucially, this scourge of corruption also drives many of Iraq’s security issues.”
    Read her full remarks here
    Read more in UN News

     

    Women, Peace and Security

    New web page on inclusive mediation
    Our Gender, Peace and Security Unit launched a new web page dedicated to inclusive and gender responsive mediation this week. It offers resources and guidance on gender and inclusive mediation, and presents examples of the Department’s work to promote the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, focusing, for example, on the valuable work carried out by DPPA’s gender advisers in the field. It also provides a comprehensive list of reading material and information on the normative background of the WPS agenda.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Gabon

    Special Representative meets with the Foreign Minister
    François Louncény Fall, Special Representative and Head of UNOCA, on 25 August met with Foreign Minister Pacôme Moubelet Boubeya of Gabon. They discussed issues of common interest, including the sociopolitical and security situation in Central Africa and COVID-19.

     

    Iraq

    Accountability for human rights violations during peaceful protests is key
    Despite promising steps by the current Government of Iraq concerning human rights violations and abuses committed in the context of recent demonstrations, accountability remains elusive, according to a UN report released on 27 August. The report details actions and omissions in handling the massive protests that took place between October 2019 and April 2020, highlights the human rights violations and abuses, calls for immediate action to achieve justice, recommends protection measures for demonstrators and urges redress for victims.
    Read more here


    Syria

    Press conference with the Special Envoy
    Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen held a press conference in Geneva on 27 August. The topic was the third session of the Constitutional Committee Small Body, that gathered in Geneva this week. Four members of the Committee tested positive for COVID-19, and the meeting was therefore postponed for a couple of days. The meetings resumed on 27 August.
    Watch here

     

    Colombia

    Special Representative briefed 40 community radio stations on the Peace Agreement
    At the invitation of Colombia’s Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, took part on 26 August in a program broadcast by 40 municipal radio stations in the department of Antioquia, northwestern Colombia. The Special Representative gave an assessment of the implementation of the Peace Agreement. The radio stations reach nearly 1 million people in that part of the country, where there is no traditional or social media coverage. "For the United Nations, it is very important to be able to send our message to the communities living in remote areas about the advances and challenges in the implementation of the Peace Agreement," Ruiz Massieu said.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    Contact DPPA at dppa@un.org

  • 28 Aug 2020

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  • 28 Aug 2020

    New York – The UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2540 extending the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) until 31 August 2021. ...

  • 27 Aug 2020

    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.

  • 26 Aug 2020

    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. 

  • 26 Aug 2020

    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. 

  • 26 Aug 2020

    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,...

  • 25 Aug 2020

    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.

  • 24 Aug 2020

    UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay Visits Beirut to Mobilize the International Community and Make...

  • 24 Aug 2020

    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. 

  • 24 Aug 2020

     

    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...

  • 24 Aug 2020

    The rights to peaceful assembly, protest and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights and fall within Libya’s obligations under international human rights law.  UNSMIL calls for an immediate and thorough investigation...

  • 22 Aug 2020

    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...

  • 22 Aug 2020

    “Culture is the fountain of our progress and creativity and must be carefully nurtured to grow and develop,” according to the World Commission on Culture and Development – and it is a view ...

  • 22 Aug 2020

    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.

  • 21 Aug 2020

     

    15 - 21 August 2020

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

    COVID-19

    Peacebuilding -  Interview with the Resident Coordinator in The Gambia
    In the “Building Peace during the Pandemic” video series, Seraphine Wakana, UN Resident Coordinator in The Gambia, spoke with Marc-André Franche, Chief, Financing for Peacebuilding Branch, Peacebuilding Support Office, DPPA. The Gambia is currently in a democratic transition and has embarked on a strong reform process including transitional justice and a constitutional review process supported by the UN. Ms. Wakana highlights how the UN used new technology to help the people and communities impacted by the pandemic. The UN worked together with the government to keep the courts operational during COVID-19 through virtual courts. The UN also helped the returnees and migrants reintegrate peacefully within communities. These migrants are now working as actors of peace and raising awareness to help communities comply with COVID-19 measures. 
    Watch here

    For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and its impact, please visit:   
    WHO website  
    UN coronavirus website 

     

    Security Council

    Syria Envoy calls for immediate nationwide ceasefire to combat COVID-19
    Syria Envoy Geir O. Pedersen, speaking to the Security Council on 19 August, called for a complete, immediate nationwide ceasefire in the country to enable an all-out effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. “I remain acutely conscious of the deep suffering of the Syrian people, who in this decade experienced death, injury, displacement, destruction, detention, torture, terror, indignities, instability, de-development and destitution on a massive scale – and who are now also grappling with COVID-19 and economic collapse,” Mr. Pedersen said.
    Read his full briefing here
    Read more in UN News


     

    Swan: "Progress in Somalia requires a long-term commitment to governance, justice, respect for human rights"
    James Swan, Special Representative and Head of UNSOM, on 20 August briefed the Council on the situation in Somalia. “We hope the new Government and Prime Minister – once appointed – will continue and indeed accelerate Somalia’s reform agenda for national development,” he said. “We remain mindful that progress in Somalia requires a long-term commitment to governance, justice, respect for human rights, and inclusion of women, youth, and minorities to build the nation,” the Special Representative concluded.
    Read his full briefing here
    Read more in UN News


    Multi-Year Appeal

    New quarterly report 
    DPPA has released its second Quarterly Report under the Multi-Year Appeal (MYA) covering activities from 1 April to 30 June. The quarterly report reflects on the impact of COVID-19 on our operations at UN Headquarters and in the field. This new report is packed with examples and shows that DPPA has adapted its operations and tools in order to continue providing support to Member States and partners. Our Special Envoys and Representatives are engaging with conflict parties, including through virtual platforms, to encourage conflict actors to move towards ceasefires and amplify the Secretary-General’s appeal made on 23 March. While the priorities and commitments outlined in DPPA’s Strategic Plan remain unchanged, our activities under the Multi-Year Appeal are constantly re-assessed to respond to the changing needs on the ground. As the competition for resources continues to intensify, the MYA is indispensable in helping DPPA carry out its work.
    Read the report here

     

     

     

    World Humanitarian Day

    Iraq
    “With serious humanitarian needs having re-emerged in the country in recent years, I wish to give special recognition today to the humanitarian staff working across the country to assist the 4.1 million Iraqis currently in need of assistance. I thank them for their dedication and service, especially in the face of the operational difficulties imposed by COVID-19,” Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano, Deputy Special Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said in a statement on World Humanitarian Day on 19 August. This day was designated in memory of the 19 August 2003 bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed  22 people, including Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello.
    Read more here

     

    African Union
    “Today, on World Humanitarian Day, let’s celebrate and support the work of our humanitarian heroes, medical professional, first responders and aid workers, many of whom have been in the frontline of the fights against the pandemic, saving lives and supporting others. Thank you so much,” Hanna Tetteh, Special Representative and Head of UNOAUtweeted on 19 August.


    Colombia

    Former combatants approve assessments for humanitarian demining 
    Seventeen former combatants of the civilian humanitarian demining organization HUMANICEMOS DH received certification to assist in the identification of the first areas to be the subject of humanitarian demining in Montañita, Caquetá, southern Colombia. The certification event took place on 15 August, an achievement that is part of the project "Reintegration of former combatants through mine action," financed in its second phase by the European Union through the European Trust Fund for Peace, with technical assistance from UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) Colombia. This achievement shows concrete progress towards the reparation of victims, the reconstruction of territories, and peace contributions by former combatants. The UN Verification Mission in Colombia accompanies the reintegration process and the security guarantees for former FARC-EP combatants in the country.
    For more Information, contact us

     

    Great Lakes

    Event to explore ways of ensuring women’s effective participation in peacebuilding
    The Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes convened a virtual meeting on 20 August to explore ways of ensuring women’s effective participation in peacebuilding efforts in the region. The meeting was the third of its kind in a series of roundtable consultations on Women, Peace and Security that started in July of this year. In his statement at the meeting, Special Envoy Huang Xia noted that the year 2020 marks several significant anniversaries, including the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the 20th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325, and the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action for gender equality. These events, he said, “should serve as a compass to reflect and act together to preserve and increase the gains in the promotion of women's rights.”
    For more Information, contact us

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • 21 Aug 2020

    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.

     

     

  • 21 Aug 2020

    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...

  • 21 Aug 2020

    Over 20 civil society organizations and networks in Guinea-Bissau, on 18 June, have approved a common agenda to promote for peace and sustainable development in...

  • 21 Aug 2020

     TRIPOLI - The Acting SRSG to Libya Stephanie Williams warmly welcomes  the points of agreement in the declarations issued today by President...

  • 21 Aug 2020

    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. 

  • 21 Aug 2020

    With elections slated for November delayed due to COVID-19, Somalia is at a critical juncture, the top United Nations official in the country told the ...

  • 20 Aug 2020

    Nairobi, 20 August 2020 – The Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes convened a virtual meeting on 20 August 2020 to explore ways of ensuring women’s...

  • 20 Aug 2020

    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.

  • 20 Aug 2020

    Lebanon Humanitarian Fund Gives $8.5 Million to Support Vulnerable Communities Affected by Beirut Explosions

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  • 20 Aug 2020

    Mr. President, Members of the Council,

    Thank you for this opportunity to brief on the situation in Somalia.  You have received a detailed written update in the latest report of the Secretary-General.  So, I...

  • 20 Aug 2020

    Mr. President, Members of the Council,

    Thank you for this opportunity to brief on the situation in Somalia.  You have received a detailed written update in the latest report of the Secretary-General.  So, I will...

  • 20 Aug 2020

    Mr. President, Members of the Council,

    Thank you for this opportunity to brief on the situation in Somalia.  You have received a detailed written update in the latest report of the Secretary-General.  So, I will...

  • 20 Aug 2020

    New York –  The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, will brief the Council on latest developments.

    The meeting will start at 5:00 p.m. (...

  • 19 Aug 2020

    The United Nations continues to monitor the ongoing situation in Mali, where soldiers arrested the President and several members of his cabinet in a military coup on Tuesday. 

  • 19 Aug 2020

    Constitutional reform talks between Syria’s Government and opposition leaders next week in Geneva, offer an opportunity to reconcile differences and establish a social contract with people across the country, who are desperate for progress after more than nine years of war, the Special Envoy told the Security Council on Wednesday. 

  • 19 Aug 2020

    New York, 19 August 2020

    On World Humanitarian Day we honour the work of humanitarians who overcome huge challenges to save and improve the lives of millions of people.

    These real-life heroes are doing extraordinary things in extraordinary times to help women, men and children whose lives are upended by crises.

    This year, humanitarian...

  • 19 Aug 2020

    UN-led efforts to address serious rights violations in Libya, received a boost on Wednesday with the appointment of three independent investigators to document abuses in the war-torn country.