New York
DiCarlo: “Stand by the Palestinian people, today and every day”
Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo opened the exhibit “Palestine: the most universal of national causes” on 27 November at UN headquarters. The exhibit forms part of the commemoration of International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on 29 November. DiCarlo said the Day “serves as an important reminder of our collective responsibility in achieving a just solution of the Palestinian question and in supporting the Palestinian people in their legitimate search for justice and peace.”
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Security Council
“Critical time for Lebanon,” Security Council members say
Special Coordinator for Lebanon Ján Kubiš and Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari briefed the Security Council, in closed consultations, on the situation in Lebanon and the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) on 25 November. Karen Pierce, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of November said after the meeting that the members of the Security Council noted that this was a critical time for Lebanon. They stressed the importance of the timely formation of a new government able to respond to the aspirations of the Lebanese people and to restore the stability of the country within the constitutional framework.
Read full press elements from the Security Council meeting on Resolution 1701 and Lebanon
Colombia
Commemoration of signing of peace agreement in Colombia
The locality of Agua Bonita, in Colombia’s Caquetá Department commemorated the third anniversary of the signing of the Peace Agreement between the Colombian Government and the former FARC-EP guerrillas, on 24 November with sports and cultural activities, as well as with an emotional act of reconciliation. In 2002, locals were victims of massive displacement. This week, they found themselves face to face with those, who in the past, were their victimizers. "In the name of all the ex-combatants who live in this community, I want to ask you, from the bottom of my heart, to forgive us for all the damage and pain we caused you, but I also want to tell you that there is a future that we are going to build with all of you," said one of the leaders of the former Reintegration Area of Agua Bonita. Senators and representatives of the “Defendamos la Paz” movement, leaders of the FARC political party, the Reintegration and Normalization Agency, the UN Verification Mission in Colombia and surrounding communities attended the event.
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Communication and gender workshop with former FARC combatants
A group of 60 men and women in the reintegration process from the different Reintegration Areas in Antioquia Department participated in training activities on gender bias, social networks, writing, photography, and non-verbal communication. This was part of the "Communication and Gender Workshop" held in the city of Medellín on 27 November, organized by the UN Verification Mission in Colombia for International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
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Afghanistan
Communities across Afghanistan call for an end to violence against women
Hundreds of Afghans gathered at UN-backed events across the country on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the campaign of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, to decry violence against women and girls, and to strategize on practical steps to put an end to harmful traditional practices in Afghanistan. Together, participants in televised debates, radio programmes and other gatherings voiced their support for the human rights of women and discussed ways to raise awareness about the negative impact of harmful traditional practices on communities across the country.
Read the full story on UNAMA’s website
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Iraq
Special Representative meets injured protesters at Baghdad hospitals
During a visit to the al-Kindi hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, on 24 November, Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) had “moving conversations with injured peaceful protesters determined to achieve freedom and dignity.” On 26 November, at the Neurosurgery Teaching Hospital, Hennis-Plasschaert said that she was extremely saddened to witness the horrific injuries. “Freedom of expression should never come at this price”.
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African Union
Tetteh: “Imperative to have young people have a seat at the table”
Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UN Office to the African Union (UNOAU) Hanna Tetteh delivered remarks at the inaugural Denmark-Africa dialogue on “Strengthening Conflict Resilience Through Prevention and Youth Engagement”, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 26 November. It is “imperative that young people have a seat at the table,” she stressed. The Special Representative, in her remarks, outlined key recommendations for better collective action towards engaging youth, particularly in efforts towards building sustainable peace, including changing the narrative of young people being seen as victims or potential perpetrators of violence and fostering participation of young people in formal decision-making.
Read her full remarks
Coordination meeting between incoming AU PSC Chair and UNSC Presidency
The Secretariat of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) and the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) facilitated an informal coordination meeting on 26 November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, between Francisco da Cruz, Ambassador of the Republic of Angola and the incoming Chairperson of the African Union Peace and Security Council, and the Ambassador of the United States of America to the African Union, Jessye Lapenn, representing the December 2019 UN Security Council (UNSC) Presidency. They discussed ways to enhance information-sharing, coordination and policy alignment between the two Councils and outlined priorities and events for the month of December.
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Mano River Union
UN and Mano River Union discuss threats to peace and stability
The UN Regional Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and the Mano River Union (MRU) held a sub-regional meeting on peace and security within the Mano River Union from 25 to 26 November in Free Town, Sierra Leone. "The Mano River Union region unfortunately encountered and continues to grapple with a number of important threats to its peace and stability, most of which have a cross-border dimension," said UNOWAS Deputy Special Representative Ruby Sandhu-Rojon. Participants discussed the role of the Joint Border Security and Confidence Building Units, to draw lessons from the current status of these units and to analyze ways to improve.
Read the full story on UNOWAS’s website
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