Syrians have high expectations for their country, and a strong desire for people from across the social spectrum to come together and forge a new constitution, which must begin with an inclusive “national dialogue”.
Syrians have high expectations for their country, and a strong desire for people from across the social spectrum to come together and forge a new constitution, which must begin with an inclusive “national dialogue”.
Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia city in Ukraine on Wednesday caused the highest number of civilian casualties in a single incident in almost two years, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country, HRMMU, has reported.
A month since the fall of the Assad regime, more than 125,000 refugees have returned to Syria “full of hope after years of exile”, only to find themselves confronted by desperate conditions, UN humanitarians warned on Thursday.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL KHALED KHIARI
BRIEFING TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
NON-PROLIFERATION/DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
New York, 8 January 2025
Mr. President,
Members of the Security Council,
On 6 January at 12:00 PM local time, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched what it described as a new-type of intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile (IRBM) loaded with a hypersonic glide vehicle. According to the DPRK official statement, the missile flew in line with its predetermined flight trajectory at a speed amounting to 12 times the speed of sound, and landed in the open sea. While stating that the launch had no negative impact on the security of neighboring countries, the DPRK regrettably did not issue airspace or maritime safety notifications.
The statement reported that the system can “deal a serious military strike to a rival by effectively breaking any of its dense defensive barriers”. Hypersonic glide vehicles travel at least five times the speed of sound and make evasive maneuvers, making defense measures against the weapon much more difficult.
Mr. President,
The launch of yet another ballistic missile by the DPRK is of serious concern. This was the fourth launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) since the beginning of 2024. In this same time period, the DPRK has also launched one intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and multiple short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM). It also attempted to launch a military reconnaissance satellite. In addition, the display of an undeclared enrichment facility in Kangson and the ongoing commissioning of the light water reactor at Yongbyon are clear violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, as are the continued launches of missiles using ballistic missile technology.
The DPRK has been actively working towards acquiring new military capabilities in line with its current five-year military development plan, which is entering its final year in 2025. The plan has called for the development of what the DPRK calls tactical nuclear weapons, “super-large” nuclear warheads, various intermediate- and long-range ballistic missile capabilities, military reconnaissance satellites and a nuclear submarine, among others. In late December, at its end-of-year plenary session, the DPRK Government emphasized that 2025 should see the successful completion of the five-year plan.
Mr. President,
The DPRK’s persistent pursuit of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes continues to undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. It also escalates tensions and contributes to the further isolation of the DPRK from the international community. We continue our calls to the DPRK to fully comply with its international obligations.
Mr. President,
As we enter 2025 amidst growing challenges to global peace and security, it is imperative to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The Secretary-General has consistently called for de-escalation and the urgent resumption of talks. Diplomatic engagement remains the only pathway to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. In this respect, we welcome offers to engage in dialogue with the DPRK without preconditions.
The Council must also remain attentive to the humanitarian situation in the DPRK. We reiterate the call on the DPRK to expedite the return of the UN Country Team and the international community to strengthen support for its people and advance the 2030 Agenda.
Thank you.
While the war in Gaza grinds on with dozens of civilians already reportedly killed and injured so far this year - and as the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon largely holds - hopes are still high for a successful transition of power in Damascus following the overthrow of the Assad regime exactly a month ago. Syria's ambassador told the Security Council on Wednesday the “dawn of freedom has broken”. App users can catch up on the live coverage here.
Russian forces continue to subject Ukraine’s people to “relentless attacks” by aerial glide bombs, long-range missiles and drones, in a bid to capture further territory in the east of the country, the UN’s deputy human rights chief said on Wednesday.
The launch of yet another ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is of serious concern, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday, highlighting the persistent threat to global efforts towards disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation.
The Security Council met on Wednesday to discuss political and humanitarian developments exactly a month on from the collapse of the Assad regime. The transitional authorities also outlined their vision for the country’s future for the first time in a major international forum.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is profoundly saddened by the devastating loss of life caused by the earthquake that struck the Tibet Autonomous Region of China on Tuesday, his Spokesperson said in a statement.
Human suffering in Sudan has reached devastating levels, with over 11.5 million people internally displaced and 3.2 million seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.
Communal violence remains the primary driver of conflict in South Sudan and continues to exact a heavy toll on civilians across the country, UN peacekeepers said on Monday.
Israeli airstrikes continued across Gaza overnight into Monday, while the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported that one of its aid convoys in the war-shattered enclave was targeted by Israeli fire on Sunday.
The UN Security Council met on Friday morning in New York to debate the collapse of health services in Gaza. The meeting was called by Algeria, the leading voice for the Arab world on the Council which has just taken the gavel as president for the month of January. Senior official from the World Health Organization (WHO) Rik Peeperkorn briefed ambassadors alongside High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. App users can follow here.
The UN’s top expert on human rights in Haiti on Friday condemned “intentional” attacks on hospitals, clinics and healthcare workers by armed gangs there, warning that medical facilities were already “near collapse”.
Operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) north of the UN-monitored Blue Line in southern Lebanon have continued, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, UNIFIL.
With seven per cent of the population killed or injured since October 2023, the health crisis in Gaza shows no signs of abating.
Governments must do more to address the root causes of mass migration, UN Children’s Fund UNICEF’s Special Coordinator for the refugee and migrant response in Europe said on Thursday.
Civilians are not safe anywhere in the Gaza Strip, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, warned on Thursday.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned Wednesday’s truck attack that killed at least 15 people in the city of New Orleans.
The head of UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA again underlined the need for a ceasefire in Gaza in a statement posted on the social media platform X on Thursday.
Since he began his mandate as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale has seen for himself the devastating effects of the Russian invasion. In this account, written exclusively for UN News, Mr. Schmale shares his impressions of Ukraine, and the efforts of the UN System to support its citizens.
Since he began his mandate as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale has seen for himself the devastating effects of the Russian invasion. In this account, written exclusively for UN News, Mr. Schmale shares his impressions of Ukraine, and the efforts of the UN System to support its citizens.
Since he began his mandate as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale has seen for himself the devastating effects of the Russian invasion. In this account, written exclusively for UN News, Mr. Schmale shares his impressions of Ukraine, and the efforts of the UN System to support its citizens.
The head of the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, issued a fresh call on Tuesday for investigations into the “systematic disregard” for humanitarian workers and humanitarian premises in Gaza.
Israel’s pattern of deadly attacks on and near hospitals in Gaza, and associated combat, have pushed the healthcare system to the brink of total collapse, with catastrophic effect on Palestinians’ access to health and medical care, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said on Tuesday.
2024 marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of a UN commitment to protect children from being recruited as soldiers. However, armed groups have increased the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.
A new report by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) highlights persistent suffering of civilians and prisoners of war (POWs) while Russia continues to expand its control over occupied territories.
New York, 31 December 2024
Throughout 2024, hope has been hard to find.
Wars are causing enormous pain, suffering and displacement. Inequalities and divisions are rife — fueling tensions and mistrust.
And today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat.
The top ten 10 hottest years on record...
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday expressed his deep sadness at the passing of former United States President Jimmy Carter, who has died aged 100, at his home in Plains, Georgia.
The UN Special Envoy for Syria continues to uphold the need for a Syrian-led transition in his ongoing talks on the way forward for the country.
A senior UN official appealed on Monday for an end to the hostilities between Israel and Houthi rebels in Yemen which have taken “an escalatory turn” in recent weeks.
Sudan’s civil war, which began in April 2023, continues to inflict misery on the country’s population, fuelling a massive humanitarian disaster and driving over 12 million people from their homes.
The last major functioning health facility in northern Gaza, Kamal Adwan Hospital, is now out of service, putting the lives of the 75,000 Palestinians remaining in the area at risk, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Friday.
Companies and governments need to take more responsibility for keeping individuals safe from the potential misuse of artificial intelligence tools, according to AI expert Ivana Bartoletti.
Offering Haiti’s young people alternatives to gang life and strengthening local institutions are key for the Caribbean nation to “reclaim its position as a symbol of hope,” according to a senior UN official in the country.
The impact of armed conflicts on children around the world reached devastating and likely record levels in 2024, according to an assessment by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Fresh details of the Israeli airstrike on Sana’a airport, which occurred as Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) was preparing to fly out of the country, have been provided by Julien Harneis, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen.
Newborns and infants in Gaza have reportedly died of hypothermia, deaths described by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as preventable. The news comes amid continued Israeli bombardments and an expected further drop in temperatures.
The UN Secretary-General on Thursday condemned the deadly escalation between Yemen and Israel, following Israeli airstrikes that reportedly killed at least three people, injured dozens, and struck critical civilian infrastructure, including Sana’a International Airport.
Civilian casualties and injuries continue to be reported across Gaza due to the ongoing hostilities, with most families unable to afford basic food as the humanitarian situation deteriorates, a UN spokesperson reported on Thursday. In Lebanon, the UN peacekeeping mission in the south of the country urged both Israel and Lebanon to prevent any actions that could threaten the fragile ceasefire.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said in a social media post on Thursday that it had received credible reports that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed in airstrikes by Pakistan’s military forces in Paktika province, on 24 December.
Often deployed on short notice to provide their technical expertise to parties trying to overcome conflict through dialogue, the on-call mediation support experts of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) rely on their listening skills, adaptability and creativity to build trust and foster dialogue. Politically Speaking talked to members of the Standby Team to learn more about their work.
“We are quick learners,” said Richard Smith, a member of the Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisors (SBT), a group of experts working with DPPA’s Mediation Support Unit (MSU) to provide technical expertise on peace processes.
The Unit provides tailored operational assistance to UN entities, such as field missions, envoys and country teams, but also member states, regional organizations and NGOs leading or facilitating dialogue and mediation initiatives.
The SBT counts eight full-time experts and can be deployed by MSU to provide highly specialized mediation expertise that is not readily available within the UN system — often at short notice.
“Our work requires a degree of humility due to the lack of knowledge when we are deployed to new settings,” added Smith, who has been working for the SBT for five years and was deployed earlier in the year to Geneva to assist in the proximity talks on Sudan, convened by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan.
The experts, whose work is fully financed by donor contributions to DPPA’s Multi-Year Appeal, can be deployed within 72 hours in case of emergency, making their adaptability and listening skills crucial elements to their work.
According to Smith, the key is to dive into the context as much as possible, listen and “ask the right questions” before providing advice to senior UN mediators and other partners leading dialogue and peace processes.
“We’re very careful to allow people to arrive at their own decisions,” said Smith, adding that “presenting a set of options unlocks opportunities.”
His expertise is on designing and facilitating peace and dialogue processes, such as the advice that he provided to the Presidential Commission for Peace and Understanding in La Araucanía, Chile, an institution set up in 2023 to find long-term solutions to the territorial disputes between the state and the Indigenous Mapuche People.
Process design and facilitation is just one of the many areas of expertise where the MSU can provide support.
“Any entity involved in a peace processes can request support of the MSU on issues that tend to arise in peace processes, from process design, ceasefires, gender and inclusion, and constitutional reform,” explained Eiko Ikegaya, Chief of Mediation Support and Gender, Peace and Security for DPPA. The Unit works in close partnership with the regional divisions in determining the appropriate response to requests for support.
In 2023, the Unit deployed the SBT and its expert staff in response to over 150 requests, which included technical expertise, drafting texts of agreements or providing specialized mediation training.
Inclusion is an important consideration in all support provided by the MSU.
Equal and meaningful participation in peace and dialogue processes is a precondition for effective and sustainable outcomes. At times, parties to conflict however resist the inclusion of different stakeholders, particularly women and young people.
“Peace processes should be viewed as societal mechanisms for transforming inequalities and ushering new ways of relating and building our communities of nation states. This can only happen if women and youth are included in these processes” said Florence Mpaayei, SBT expert on Gender and Inclusion.
Advising on ways to overcome such resistance, or building alternative fora for marginalized voices, is an essential part of MSU’s and the SBT’s support services.
In Sudan, for instance, in 2022, the Trilateral Mechanism composed of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) along with the African Union and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development established the Women’s Rights Group (WRG).
The Group brought together independent gender experts from Sudan’s diverse backgrounds to engage with the Trilateral Mechanism and key stakeholders in the political process. With technical support from SBT experts, the WRG became the dedicated platform for women to engage in the Sudanese political process and succeeded in advocating for a provision to ensure at least 40 per cent representation of women in transitional institutions in the 5 December 2022 Framework Political Agreement.
Many of these women continue to be actively engaged in advocating for the resolution of the devastating conflict in Sudan that restarted in April 2023. The resilience and determination of the Sudanese women to embrace dialogue and build consensus in their diverse constituencies offers some hope amidst catastrophic violence.
“A peaceful and gender sensitive inclusive Sudan is the dream of the women of Sudan. It can be realized only if the women, youth and other stakeholders participate in finding a solution,” said Mpaayei.
Remote mediation support has become more common in recent years, in particular since the COVID-19 pandemic, and helps reduce costs.
“There must be solid reasons for field deployment,” Smith explained, adding that around 30 per cent of his work is now digital.
Trust is more easily fostered through in-person encounters and is often one of the most challenging aspects of the advisors’ work.
“In Chile, there is a history of unkept promises towards the Mapuche people, who still suffer from discrimination today,” said MSU’s David Mueller, who works alongside Smith in support of the Chilean Commission. “This created disillusionment and a lack of trust.”
Such “trust deficits” are common in contexts where disputes are ongoing, and they can compromise efforts to build dialogue, Smith warned.
“In the absence of strong relationships, it is difficult to talk with frankness and openness,” he explained, noting that building trust can take a long time, but is essential to find genuine agreement.
Sometimes personal chemistry can help bridge gaps in these relationships.
“We use every resource available to us, including personal elements like past experiences, music, hobbies,” Smith said, adding that this might open up space for dialogue even within high-level negotiations.
While speaking the same language can help lift barriers, body language, facial expressions and the amount of time you allow someone to express themselves are equally important, according to Smith.
“In every conflict there is historical baggage and to overcome it, it is going to take as long as it took to get to that point,” Smith explained, adding that the work of the SBT is just the beginning of a long-term process.
Ultimately, the goal of the SBT and MSU is to create lasting change, even when mediation support is provided for a limited period.
“Reaching an agreement is far from being the end goal,” he said, pointing for instance to the Presidential Commission in Chile which is expected to put forward its recommendations to solve the land disputes next January.
“Only if the recommendations are properly implemented will all the labor put into producing them bear fruit,” he concluded.
Sudan is confronting a widening famine crisis, with widespread starvation, surging acute malnutrition and mass displacement exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation, a UN-backed food security assessment released on Tuesday has found.