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Reports and Policy Documents

2020

  • 4 Mar 2020

    Many global programmes aimed at countering violent extremism have negative impacts on human rights and may even ‘foster radicalization’ rather than preventing it, an independent UN human rights expert warned on Wednesday.

  • 4 Mar 2020

    Difficult winter weather conditions, road congestion and military manoeuvres are restricting humanitarian aid delivery to desperate civilians in the Syrian province of Idlib, where a Government operation to weed out extremists has uprooted nearly one million people since December. 

  • 4 Mar 2020

    Positive developments in South Sudan have “moved the country further along the road to sustainable peace”, the top UN official there told Security Council members on Wednesday.

  • 4 Mar 2020

    The Security Council unanimously adopts resolution 2512 (2020), extending the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) until 31 December. 28 February 2020. UN...

  • 4 Mar 2020

    The United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) is launching a series of on-line exchange of views as part of the global #UN75 initiative to create a collective...

  • 3 Mar 2020

    The sprawling Dadaab refugee complex in north-eastern Kenya has a population of close to 220,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers. Most of them are from...

  • 3 Mar 2020

    Political leaders in Iraq will have to “step up to the plate” and prioritize national interests if the country is to realize a more just and prosperous future, the top UN official there said in the Security Council on Tuesday. 

  • 3 Mar 2020

    Jowhar, 3 March 2020 – A three-day public consultation ended today in Jowhar, at which representatives from all walks of life in Somalia’s federal state of...

  • 3 Mar 2020

    The United Nations is “determined to stand by” civilians across Syria’s war-torn northwest, as “a grave humanitarian crisis” continues, the UN emergency relief chief said on Tuesday.

  • 3 Mar 2020

    A delegation of the Advisory Board on Women, Peace and Security in the Great Lakes region meeting with Burundian authorities in Bujumbura

    The Advisory Board on Women,...

  • 3 Mar 2020

    The UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Huang Xia, and his delegation, meeting Emirati officials

    Dubai (United Arab Emirates), 1 March 2020 – The Office of the United Nations Special...

  • 2 Mar 2020

    After serving more than two years as the UN’s Special Representative in charge of finding a way to a lasting peace in war-torn Libya, Ghassan Salamé - who also heads up the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) - handed in his resignation on Monday, citing failing health caused by the immense stress of the job.  

  • 2 Mar 2020

    Humanitarian assistance needs to be scaled up significantly to more than a million people displaced by fighting in northwest Syria, a senior UN aid official said on Monday, amid reports that children are freezing to death on the Turkish border.

  • 2 Mar 2020
  • 29 Feb 2020

    On Saturday the United Nations called for further reductions in violence in Afghanistan, and for the conditions for intra-Afghan peace talks to be met, following the announcement of an agreement between the United States and the Taliban.

  • 29 Feb 2020

    NEW YORK - The Secretary-General welcomes efforts to achieve a lasting political settlement in Afghanistan. Today’s events in Doha and Kabul mark important developments in this regard....

  • 29 Feb 2020
     

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  • 29 Feb 2020

    KABUL - The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) welcomes the successful conclusion of a seven-day period of reduced violence, which is expected to lead to the start...

  • 29 Feb 2020

    The members of the Security Council noted the progress made in the preparations for the holding of national elections in late 2020 or early 2021 in Somalia, and welcomed the role of the Federal Government of Somalia...

  • 28 Feb 2020

    22 - 28 February 2020

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

    Security Council

    UN Envoy warns against escalating situation in the Middle East   
    Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov briefed the UN Security Council on the situation in the Middle East on 24 February. "The situation is escalating as we speak with continuing projectiles being fired from Gaza and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes," Mr. Mladenov said. Palestinian Islamic Jihadist fired more than 60 rockets towards Israel, with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responding with multiple airstrikes in the Gaza strip. The Special Coordinator called for “an immediate stop” to the firing of rockets and mortars that “only risk dragging Gaza into another round of hostilities with no end in sight.” Mr. Mladenov also briefed on the situation in the West Bank and on the lack of negotiations towards a two-state solution.
    Read his full remarks here
    Read more in UN News


    Swan: ”2020 has the potential to be a transformative year for Somalia”
    James Swan, Special Representative and Head of UNSOM, briefed the Council on the situation in Somalia on 24 February. ”2020 has the potential to be a transformative year for Somalia,” Mr. Swan said, referring to the upcoming elections in the country, finalizing the federal constitution, achieving debt relief, and consolidating a federal state. “Only by working together, as Somalis, as partners, and in a spirit of unity and compromise, will progress be made,” the Special Representative concluded.
    Read his full remarks here 


     

    Security Council extends Yemen travel ban and asset freeze
    The Security Council authorized on 25 February a one-year extension of the asset freeze and travel ban imposed in 2014 on individuals or entities threatening peace, security and stability in Yemen. The Council also extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts tasked with gathering information about those who potentially meet the criteria for designation. It requested that the Panel provide a midterm update to the Committee no later than 28 July 2020, and a final report to the Council itself no later than 28 January 2021.
    Read more here
    Read the latest report of the Panel of Experts here

     

    DiCarlo: "We must all assume our responsibility to do all we can to stop this violence"
    The Council held an emergency meeting on the situation in north-west Syria on 28 February. Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo briefed Council members on the latest developments. “Civilians in Idlib are living under daily threat and terror, seeking refuge from airstrikes and volleys of shells and mortar rounds,” Ms. DiCarlo said. “They are NOT asking for a pause in the fighting. They are asking for an end to the killing. We must all assume our responsibility to do all we can to stop this violence”.
    Read her full remarks
     

     

    Central America

    Assistant Secretary-General Jenča visits Guatemala and Mexico
    iroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, visited Guatemala this week. Mr. Jenča discussed the Sustainable Development Goals, rule of law, anti-corruption, regional cooperation and human rights, including of women and indigenous peoples, with President Alejandro Giammattei on 24 February. He also met with representatives from civil society, indigenous peoples and the private sector.

    Continuing to Mexico, the Assistant Secretary-General met with Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on 27 February. They discussed Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, the Comprehensive Development Plan, UN cooperation to prevent violence against women, and exchanged views on sub-regional issues.
    For more information, contact us

     

    Colombia

    Ex-combatants attend Colombia's most important tourism fair
    The ANATO tourism fair (Colombian Association of Travel Agents and Tourism) opened its doors in Bogota on 26 February. The more than 25,000 attendees can learn about the tourism offerings of different national and international destinations offered by exponents from Colombia and more than 35 countries. This year, and thanks to the Peace Agreement, tourist initiatives of ex-combatants in the process of reintegration from Dabeiba (Antioquia), Planadas (Tolima), Vista Hermosa, La Macarena and Mesetas (Meta), Miravalle (Caquetá), Pondores (Cesar) and Charras (Guaviare) are on display.  This initiative, led by the Inter-Institutional Tourism Board for Reincorporation, Reconciliation, and Territorial Development, aims to promote tourism in the areas most affected by the conflict. The UN Verification Mission in Colombia is a member of the Tourism Board.
    For more information, contact us


     

     

     


     

    Yemen

    Consultative meetings in Jordan
    A two-day consultative meeting with Yemeni public and political figures, was held in Amman, Jordan, on 26 and 27 February. The meeting brought together a diverse group of Yemeni stakeholders, men and women, to discuss the prospects of resuming the official political process. Discussions included challenges against the resumption of the peace process and opportunities that could be utilized to push the process forward. “It was encouraging hearing from the participants that we share the same vision for peace in Yemen. We all agree that sustainable peace is only possible through an inclusive, comprehensive and negotiated solution. We all agree that confidence-building measures cannot survive without a political process to give them direction and meaning,” Martin Griffiths, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, said.
    Read his full remarks here

     

    Libya

    Second round of Libya talks concluded
    The second round of the 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission (JMC) talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and to restore security to civilian areas concluded on 23 February at the Palace of Nations in Geneva. Ghassan Salamé, Special Representative and Head of UNSMIL, attended the talks The JMC is one of the three tracks which UNSMIL is working on, in addition to the economic and political tracks, in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2510 (2020), which calls upon the two parties to reach a lasting ceasefire agreement.
    Read more on UNSMIL’s website

     

    New York

    Peacebuilding Commission holds meetings on Guinea-Bissau and Burundi   
    The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) held an Ambassadorial-level meeting on Guinea-Bissau on 24 February. Against the background of a political deadlock related to the ongoing legal dispute over the election results in the country, Configuration Chair and Permanent Representative of Brazil Ronaldo Costa Filho convened the meeting to discuss Guinea-Bissau’s post-electoral socio-economic priorities. Rosine Sori-Coulibaly, Special Representative and Head of UNIOGBIS, stressed the need to remain focused on the country’s core peacebuilding priorities, including the defense and security sector reform and the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime. Maria Antonieta Pinto Lopes D'Alva, Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau, expressed appreciation for PBC commitment, including through its advisory role to the Security Council.

    Jürg Lauber, Chair of the Burundi PBC Configuration and Permanent Representative of Switzerland, convened an Ambassadorial-level meeting on 25 February to debrief on his visit to the Burundian capital Bujumbura, which he undertook together with Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Bintou Keita. Albert Shingiro, Permanent Representative of Burundi, discussed preparations for the elections, informing that his government covers most election-related costs. East African Community (EAC) Secretary-General, Ambassador Libérat Mfumukeko, presented EAC plans to deploy an Election Observation Mission and appealed for financial support. Barrie Freeman, Deputy and Political Director of the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), presented the peacebuilding activities supported by the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), and stressed the need to maintain focus on socio-economic priorities before and after elections. Member States called for peaceful, inclusive and transparent elections and encouraged continued dialogue at local and provincial levels.


    Report of the Secretary-General on the Peacebuilding Fund
    The report of the Secretary-General on the Peacebuilding Fund was published this week. Highlights from the report include: The Fund approved $191 million in 34 countries, up from $183 million in 2018, continuing on a modest growth trajectory in 2019. In the past year, 22 per cent of the Fund’s investments were in transition settings, totaling $41.3 million. New cross-border investments were approved amounting to $7.8 million.  The Fund approved a record amount of $40.1 million to UN entities and civil society organizations through its annual competitive call, up from $37.1 million last year. A number of Member States responded to the call for increased funding to sustain the Fund’s investments. In 2019, the Fund received $134.8 million from 25 Member States, many of whom increased the size of their contribution from previous years
    Read the report here

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • 28 Feb 2020

    With the Security Council meeting in emergency session on Syria following the death on the battlefield of dozens of Turkish troops, the UN strongly urged Russia and Turkey on Friday “to build on previous agreements to secure a fresh ceasefire” across the war-torn northwest.

  • 28 Feb 2020

    The United States’ announcement of a new vision for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, touted as the “Deal of the Century”, is a “mockery”, the Prime Minister of Malaysia told an international conference in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

  • 28 Feb 2020

    Thank you, Mr. President, 

    The security situation has continued to gravely deteriorate in and around Idlib. Let me recall some of the key events.

    In the last nine days, Syrian Government forces, with support from the Russian air force, have continued to advance, taking a large swath of villages in southern Idlib. Air strikes also continue in both frontline areas and population centers far removed from the fighting. During the same period, non-state armed groups launched a counterattack in eastern Idlib, retaking the city of Saraqib, which they lost to Syrian Government forces in recent weeks. This action cut the Syrian Government’s control of the strategic M5 highway. Turkish forces reportedly played a supporting role in this operation.

    Delegations from the Russian Federation and Turkey resumed their talks, from 26 February, in Ankara. These discussions have continued until today, along with presidential contacts by phone.

    On 27 February, there were strikes on Turkish troops inside Syria. The Turkish Minister of Defense noted that 33 Turkish soldiers were killed and 32 wounded by strikes that Turkey has attributed to the Syrian Government. Russian Ministry of Defense officials confirmed that an unspecified number of Turkish soldiers, who they said were co-located with non-state armed groups, had been hit by Syrian Government shelling. Turkish Defense Ministry officials have noted that after the strikes on Turkish soldiers, Turkey targeted Syrian Government positions with aircraft, weaponized drones and artillery.


    Mr. President,

    We strongly urge Russia and Turkey to build upon their previous agreements to secure a fresh ceasefire for north-west Syria.


    These latest developments are unfolding in the context of a broader military escalation that was already devastating for civilians in the north-west.

    For months now, bombing and shelling by the Government of Syria, supported by its allies, has continued in the so-called de-escalation zone of Idlib. Strikes have been launched on populated areas from both air and ground, seemingly without regard for civilians. Nearly a million people have been displaced since early December, many multiple times, including more than 560,000 children. They are fleeing north, away from the intensifying aerial and ground bombardment and into ever-shrinking areas where they still hope to find relative safety.

    The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has verified at least 1,750 civilians have been killed since last April. The actual number is probably higher. 351 civilians have been killed in the last two months alone. While the majority of these civilian deaths—94%—has occurred in opposition-held areas exposed to bombardment by pro-government forces, 6% occurred in government-held areas. This serves as a reminder that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is designated by this Council as a terrorist organization, and other non-state armed groups have also struck populated areas indiscriminately. Civilians are killed in IDP camps, schools and hospitals. This is happening in plain sight, night and day, day in and day out. Hospitals destroyed. Schools destroyed. Peoples’ lives destroyed. And it is happening under our watch.


    Mr. President,

    We continue to come before you with an ever-growing record of destruction and atrocity. The Secretary-General has consistently expressed alarm at the dangerous escalation in north-west Syria.

    The UN has countless times reminded all parties that any attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are simply unacceptable. We have repeatedly called for a ceasefire. We have reaffirmed to the parties that all military operations must respect the rules of international humanitarian law. If such horrific acts and tactics persist despite global outrage, is it largely because their authors do not fear accountability and justice?

    Civilians in Idlib are living under daily threat and terror, seeking refuge from airstrikes and volleys of shells and mortar rounds. They are NOT asking for a pause in the fighting. They are asking for an end to the killing. We must all assume our responsibility to do all we can to stop this violence.

     

    Thank You.

  • 28 Feb 2020

    Near verbatim transcript of the press stakeout by Ghassan Salamé, Special Representative of the Secretary-Generaland Head of the United Nations Support Mission...

  • 28 Feb 2020

    Rapidly escalating conflict in northwest Syria has created healthcare “mayhem”, amid reports of displaced people moving closer to the Turkish border in search of shelter, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, as the UN Secretary-General appealed for all warring parties to "step back from the edge of further escalation." 

  • 28 Feb 2020

    The ninth annual Meeting of Deputy Foreign Ministers of the Central Asian States, convened by the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for...

  • 27 Feb 2020

    The 21st century must be the century of women’s equality, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday evening, in a call to transform the world by ensuring equal participation for all. 

  • 27 Feb 2020

    SRSG Salame - archive

    Geneva, Switzerland, 28 February 2020

    Ghassan Salamé: As you know, UNSMIL has started three tracks in application of the...

  • 27 Feb 2020

    Amman, 28 February 2020 - The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, strongly condemns the recent military escalation in Al Jawf governorate in northern Yemen. He calls on all involved in the conflict to freeze all military activity in Al Jawf, Ma’rib and Nihm areas and to work with his office to achieve that goal.

    “I’m deeply disappointed and dismayed with the continued wave of military escalation in Yemen....

  • 27 Feb 2020

    Lack of political consensus on national priorities could threaten further progress in Somalia which is preparing to hold its first “one-person, one-vote” election in 50 years, UN Special Representative James Swan told the Security Council on Monday. 

  • 27 Feb 2020

    Cross-border humanitarian deliveries from Turkey last month reached more people in northwest Syria than at any time since operations began more than five years ago, the UN’s Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council on Thursday. 

  • 27 Feb 2020

    The second round of the United Nations-facilitated talks to end fighting in Libya concluded on Sunday in Geneva with “seriousness of purpose and goodwill” in Geneva on Sunday, the UN said today.  

  • 27 Feb 2020

    @OSESGY

    Amman, 27 February 2020 - The Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) concluded a two-day consultative meeting with...

  • 27 Feb 2020

    Yemen experienced one of the quietest periods of the conflict particularly in the air war.

    But recent military escalations since then have demonstrated the exceptional vulnerability of such gains that were made in the absence, in our view, of a political process to give them meaning and direction.

    Over the past month and a half, in particular, the military situation has grown more dire.

    Both sides have announced expansive military goals and exchanged fierce...

  • 27 Feb 2020

    Mr Huang Xia's Office is supporting the organization of two strategic actions in the Great Lakes region, namely the Great Lakes Investment and Trade Conference in March and a meeting of Heads of State of the Regional Oversight Mechanism for the...

  • 27 Feb 2020
  • 26 Feb 2020

    With division and distrust rife among countries that possess nuclear arsenals, the UN disarmament chief is hopeful that the issue will be addressed during an upcoming conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty. 

  • 26 Feb 2020

    The “strength, leadership and invaluable contributions in peacekeeping settings” made by women across the world is being highlighted by the United Nations as part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to building global peace.

  • 26 Feb 2020

     

    Statement by United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, on Israeli settlement announcements

    Jerusalem, 26 February 2020

    “I am very concerned about Israel’s recent announcements regarding the advancement of settlement construction in Giv’at Hamatos and Har Homa, as well as the worrying plans for 3,500 units in the controversial E1 area of...

  • 25 Feb 2020

    Mogadishu – Somalia’s federal electoral law has now been approved by the House of the People and was signed into law by the President on 20 February.  This law...

  • 25 Feb 2020

    The Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) is hosting a consultative meeting with a group of Yemeni public and political figures in Amman, Jordan, on 26-27 February 2020.

    The meeting brings together a diverse group of Yemeni stakeholders, both men and women, including members of some political parties and independent public figures. Discussions will focus on approaches to resume the...

  • 25 Feb 2020

    Within the framework of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are joining hands to...

  • 24 Feb 2020

    It is no longer enough to reaffirm past agreements on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a senior UN envoy, who said on Monday that it is time to “find our way back to a mutually agreed mediation framework” to resume meaningful negotiations towards a two-State solution. 

  • 24 Feb 2020

    Mr. President,

    2020 has the potential to be a transformative year for Somalia.  A number of key national priorities are due to conclude and will impact Somalia’s trajectory for years to come.

    ...

  • 24 Feb 2020

    On January 29 and 30, the “Knowledge-sharing dialogue for women in politics” was held in Bogotá. The event was a joint initiative between the ...

  • 24 Feb 2020

    Mister President,

    Members of the Security Council,

    Two weeks ago, I briefed this Council following the release of the US “Peace to Prosperity” vision for Israelis and Palestinians.

    Today, I will provide a regular briefing on the situation on the ground. However, let me begin by addressing the developing situation in and around Gaza.

    ...
  • 24 Feb 2020

    Geneva, 24 February 2020 - The second round of the 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission (JMC) talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and to restore security to civilian areas concluded on 23 February at...

  • 22 Feb 2020

    United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed on Saturday the establishment of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) in South Sudan. 

  • 22 Feb 2020

    More than 10,000 civilians in Afghanistan were killed and injured last year, according to a new United Nations report that details record-high levels of civilian harm in the ongoing conflict.

  • 22 Feb 2020

    KABUL - The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is extremely concerned by the events that are ongoing to replace government officials.

    Resorting to force or any other...