UN human rights chief Volker Türk this week met survivors of massacres in eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who told him they are desperate for peace.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk this week met survivors of massacres in eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who told him they are desperate for peace.
Mister President,
I would like to thank Malta for convening this debate today.
In 2015, this Council adopted resolution 2250, which acknowledged the importance of youth in prevention and peacebuilding.
The resolution urged Member States to increase youth representation in decision-making processes at all levels.
As we approach the tenth anniversary of this groundbreaking text, today’s debate is a timely reminder that advancing meaningful youth participation must remain a priority for all of us.
The potential and opportunity for renewal that young people represent – as well as the vulnerabilities that can often affect them disproportionately – means that they must be part of the broader discussions shaping our societies.
Yet, so much more needs to be done to meet the aspirations of the region’s youth, including by empowering them to participate in the decisions that can affect both their present and their future.
Mister President,
Today’s discussion is focused on the Mediterranean region, and with good reason.
In the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, young people constitute 55 per cent of the population.
We recall the wave of demonstrations that swept across the region in 2011. Youth were at the forefront of these movements, protesting disenfranchisement and the lack of economic opportunity and employment.
We also witnessed how violent and extremist networks exploited such grievances to lure young people into their ranks.
Young people also make up most of those embarking on the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean, fleeing conflict and poverty in search of a better life.
Mister President,
It is estimated that one out of four young people around the world is affected by violence or armed conflict. The young, especially women, are more vulnerable to neglect, abuse, and exploitation. Young people are more likely to be recruited by armed groups when they have no other livelihood opportunities.
Additionally, estimates also suggests that more than 90% of all direct conflict deaths occur among young adult males.
Exposure to conflict at a young age creates well documented mental-health and psychosocial impacts that persist into adulthood.
These grim facts and figures are borne out in the unfolding calamity in one part of the Mediterranean. The 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas and the war in Gaza has destroyed many young lives.
Seventy per cent of the population in Gaza is under 30. Almost all have been exposed to unprecedented levels of trauma, violence, disease, and food insecurity. All schools across the Gaza Strip are closed, impacting more than 625,000 students.
Mister President,
The impact of war and violence on youth is well known. What is still not sufficiently recognized is the many ways young people – with their energy, innovative ideas and creativity - can make the search for peace more sustainable and effective.
We have witnessed this spirit of innovation in our special political missions where we have increasingly deployed new technologies to organize digital consultations with youth. From Libya to Lebanon, these dialogues have helped us better understand their views and aspirations, and to reflect them in our work.
Creating political space for youth to meaningfully engage in peace and security initiatives is key. For example, last September, our mission in Libya launched the “Training Future Leaders of Libya” initiative.
Thirty young Libyan women will develop their skills in human rights, as well as legislation and policies to promote women’s participation and to counter hate speech. In February, the programme brought these young women to the European Parliament, where they discussed the impact of conflict on youth.
Mister President,
Young people are inheriting a planet on fire. One statistic encapsulates our dire situation: last month was the hottest March ever recorded. The previous nine months also set records.
The Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to climate change, warming at a rate 20 per cent faster than the global average. Massive floods, devastating storms and long droughts threaten livelihoods, health, water and food security across the region.
The World Bank predicts that up to 19 million people would become internal climate migrants in North Africa alone by 2050 without concrete climate action.
In addition to facing these risks, youth are also expected to be most vulnerable to climate change related health hazards due to prolonged exposure during their lifetime.
Youth continue to take on a leading role in influencing, advocating, and demanding greater political will and concrete action on climate change.
This has been clear in their strong messages at the various COP meetings. Young women are often at the forefront of these movements, advocating for a gender lens at all stages of policy and decision-making related to climate risks.
In Cyprus, for example, our Good Offices Mission has helped young people across the divide to unite around shared concerns over environmental sustainability and to prepare joint positions for COP28 last December.
Mister President,
As documented in the Secretary-General’s report on youth, peace and security, negative stereotypes of youth as agents of unrest and violence continue to contribute to their marginalization and stigmatization.
To strengthen the role of youth as positive agents of change, regional and multilateral actions are essential.
In his policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace, the Secretary-General strongly advocates for active youth participation in decision-making processes. The United Nations is intensifying its efforts in this regard.
UNDP’s flagship report on Human Mobility reminds us that by accessing training, education and economic opportunities in other societies, young people, especially women, can be agents of change by bringing new experiences, skills and wealth back to their home countries.
Further, my Department’s Youth, Peace and Security Strategy builds on the Youth Promotion Initiative of the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund. It remains the only international financing mechanism dedicated to the implementation of the agenda.
The Fund has invested $128 million (US dollars) in 97 projects in support of youth inclusion across more than 30 countries since 2016.
But we will need more adequate, predictable, and sustained funding to translate youth inclusion from a political commitment to tangible practice.
Regional organizations have a key role to play. In this regard, we welcome the League of Arab States recent endorsement of its first Youth, Peace and Security strategy.
I also commend the Union for the Mediterranean for its Youth 2030 Strategy and its efforts to support work opportunities for youth in the Southern Mediterranean.
Mister President,
Investing in youth is investing in peace.
The work of this Council is critical in this regard.
In his third report on the implementation of Resolution 2250, the Secretary-General noted that the number of young briefers to the Security Council had decreased in the past two years.
Meaningful youth engagement can start in this Chamber. I urge the Council to create more opportunities for young briefers and to continue to champion the youth, peace and security agenda, which is critical for the Mediterranean region and beyond.
Thank you, Mister President.
The Commissioner-General of the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) briefed the Security Council in New York on Wednesday as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, telling ambassadors that life-saving deliveries are being blocked by Israel as part of an "insidious campaign" to push it out of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The UN’s top political and peacebuilding official on Wednesday emphasized the pivotal role of youth in shaping the future of societies, stressing the need to involve them in decision-making on issues ranging from conflict to climate change.
UN and partner agencies insisted on Wednesday that “critical changes” are needed to improve aid access into Gaza, as they launched a $2.8 billion appeal to provide urgent assistance for millions of people in the devastated enclave, but also in the West Bank, where Palestinians have been targeted by increasing settler violence.
The Commissioner-General of the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) briefed the Security Council in New York on Wednesday as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, telling ambassadors that life-saving deliveries are being blocked by Israel as part of an "insidious campaign" to push it out of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The Commissioner-General of the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) briefed the Security Council in New York on Wednesday as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, telling ambassadors that life-saving deliveries are being blocked by Israel as part of an "insidious campaign" to push it out of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Joint Communiqué: The United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security Holds its Twenty Third Consultative Meeting
New York, 16 April 2024 — The United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security held its twenty third consultative meeting on 16 April, in New York.
The meeting reviewed the status of the partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU), with an update on the implementation of the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security. In this context, the meeting discussed peace and security developments in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Libya, Mozambique, Somalia, the Sudan and South Sudan, as well as West Africa and the Sahel region. The meeting also discussed the way forward following the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) on financing of African Union-led peace support operations.
The AU Commission and the UN Secretariat were represented by AU Commissioner Bankole Adeoye (Political Affairs, Peace and Security); and the Under-Secretaries-General Rosemary DiCarlo (Political and Peacebuilding Affairs), Jean-Pierre Lacroix (Peace Operations), Parfait Onanga-Anyanga (Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union), and Assistant Secretaries-General Martha Pobee (Africa) and Lisa Buttenheim (Operational Support). The meeting was also attended by other senior officials from the two Organizations.
The Joint Task Force took note of the considerable progress achieved in the UN-AU partnership, including with Regional Economic Communities and Mechanisms in Africa, together with international partners. These include sustained collaboration on support to AU peace support operations, early warning, prevention initiatives and coordinated support to national authorities for the conduct of timely, peaceful, and inclusive elections, as well as for the promotion and protection of human rights. The meeting discussed the need for sustainable financing of Security Council-mandated AU-led peace support operations.
The meeting highlighted the challenges facing West Africa and the Sahel countries, including the persistent threat of terrorism, and the need for the international community to strengthen support for these countries to avoid spillover to other countries. The meeting discussed the revitalization of the Joint Sahel Assessment on Security, Governance, and Development and, in this regard, emphasized the importance of streamlining the security, humanitarian, and development requirements in every initiative by the international community in the region. The meeting also agreed that the adoption of Security Council resolution 2719 (2023) was a positive development in UN-AU support for the fight against terrorism through the provision of predictable and sustainable support to African Union-led peace support operations. The meeting agreed to hold technical-level discussions in Addis Ababa by 25 May, and a follow up meeting around 17-20 June if required, to agree on the next steps for the operationalization of this milestone resolution, including modalities for its implementation.
Concerning the Central African Republic, the Joint Task Force commended the progress achieved in the advancement of the peace process, and welcomed the Central African Government’s continued ownership and commitment to pursue the implementation of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic, and the Joint Road Map for Peace in the Central African Republic of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. The Joint Task Force, however, noted that these gains remain fragile, pointing to the deterioration of the security situation at the border areas and transhumance zones that continue to pose threats to civilians. To this end, the Joint Task Force reiterated the importance of concerted regional efforts to address the persistent insecurity in the Central African Republic. The Joint Task Force highlighted that the long awaited local elections provide an essential opportunity to strengthen local governance and decentralize the peace process, and called on regional and international partners’ support to this important process. The meeting took note of the appointment of the new Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Mission for Central and Eastern Africa (MISAC), António Egídio de Sousa Santos, who has already assumed office.
Regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Joint Task Force expressed serious concerns over the continued deterioration of the security situation in eastern DRC and urged all armed groups to lay down weapons and disarm unconditionally. The Joint Task Force encouraged countries of the region to work towards peace and avoid any action that would undermine the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of their neighbours. The meeting commended efforts spearheaded by H.E. João Lourenço, President of Angola and African Union Champion for Peace and Reconciliation, for his efforts to de-escalate tensions and normalize relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda under the Luanda roadmap. The Joint Task Force welcomed the deployment of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC) and the endorsement, on 4 March, of the regional force by the African Union Peace and Security Council. The Joint Task Force agreed to continue working towards the harmonization and coordination of regional initiatives for peace and stability in eastern DRC.
On Libya, the Joint Task Force expressed concern over the stalled political process and highlighted the importance of UN-AU cooperation in support of Libyan efforts to lead the country towards elections. Participants underscored the importance of a unified and coordinated approach by all international partners for the advancement of the political process in Libya. The meeting welcomed the African Union’s continued commitment to supporting the national reconciliation process in Libya, including through the organization of the National Reconciliation Conference, in collaboration with the Presidential Council, in order to uphold a rights-based approach to reconciliation that is rooted in the principles of transitional justice and includes all Libyans.
The Joint Task Force welcomed progress in the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in Ethiopia. The meeting highlighted the importance of establishing inclusive dialogue processes to address insecurity and underscored the commitment of the AU and UN to accompany Ethiopia in building sustainable peace.
Regarding Somalia, the meeting noted that cooperation between the AU and the UN in Somalia remains strong towards ensuring Somalia is better supported to advance its key national priorities, including the ongoing security transition. Participants expressed concern about the financial gaps of ATMIS, which need to be addressed by the international community. The meeting stressed the imperative for international partners to ensure a predictable and sustainable financing mechanism for any follow-on AU presence while equally investing in the capacities of the Somalia Security Forces to assume security responsibilities.
Echoing Security Council Resolution 2724 (2024), the Joint Task Force called on the warring parties in the Sudan to ensure an immediate cessation of hostilities and to take genuine and concrete steps towards a sustainable resolution of the conflict through dialogue. The Joint Task Force called for continued efforts to enhance coordination of the existing diplomatic initiatives to put an end to the conflict and to restore a lasting, inclusive civilian-led democratic transition in the Sudan.
Regarding South Sudan, the meeting exchanged on UN and AU respective discussions with South Sudanese stakeholders on the state of the transition and the progress towards the holding of the first elections since the independence of South Sudan, scheduled to take place this year. The meeting underlined the need to continue to work with international partners and regional actors including IGAD through the Trilateral Mechanisms to encourage South Sudanese stakeholders to overcome key obstacles on the various transitional processes; and accelerate preparatory work for the timely holding of peaceful and inclusive elections which will pave the way for the end of the transition as envisioned in the 2018 Revitalised Agreement to the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.
The next statutory meeting of the Joint Task Force will be convened by both Organizations at a date to be mutually agreed.
Scaling up assistance in Gaza remains a challenge in the face of continued access denials, delays and other impediments, the head of the UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territories said on Tuesday.
Nearly 10,000 women have been killed in Gaza since war erupted six months ago and one child is injured or dies every 10 minutes, UN agencies warned on Tuesday, amid spiralling violence in the West Bank and concerns over a regional escalation of the conflict following Iran’s missile and drone strike on Israel.
Efforts to foster dialogue and address the concerns of Libyan politicians are being met with “stubborn resistance, unreasonable expectations and indifference” on their part, contrary to the national interest, the UN envoy to the North African nation said on Tuesday.
“The world is forgetting about the people of Sudan” the UN chief warned on Monday, calling for a boost in humanitarian funding and a global push for peace to end a year of brutal fighting between rival militaries.
As tensions worsen across the Middle East region, Yemen’s plight has become increasingly intertwined with wider geopolitical dynamics, the UN Special Envoy for the country said on Monday.
A recent spate of “reckless attacks” on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine must end immediately, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told the UN Security Council on Monday.
A full year of conflict in Sudan has already caused immense suffering and death but the situation could easily worsen with the news that the warring parties are arming civilians, UN rights chief Volker Türk said on Monday.
As UN chief António Guterres on Monday reiterated his appeal for “maximum restraint” in the Middle East following Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel, independent human rights experts said that the alleged use of artificial intelligence on targets in Gaza by the Israeli military had taken an “unprecedented toll” on civilians, housing and services.
The people of the Middle East are facing a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict, António Guterres said on Sunday, urging “maximum restraint” across a region “on the brink”, hours after Iran launched attack drones and missiles against Israel overnight Saturday.
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Strongly condemning the “large-scale attack” launched on Israel by Iran, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged maximum restraint by all parties and warned that “neither the region nor the world can afford another war.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the establishment of a transitional council in Haiti tasked with choosing new political leadership and setting up elections in the crisis-torn Carribean country.
The situation for Gazans remains dire despite hopes stemming from recent commitments by Israel to boost assistance, the UN’s top aid official in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said on Friday.
UN humanitarians in Sudan issued a fresh alert on Friday about pervasive food insecurity and looming famine.
The UN renewed its commitment to never forget the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda during a candle lighting ceremony on Friday to mark 30 years since the horrific events there unfolded.
Madam President,
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, launched in blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law, continues to inflict a heavy toll on the people of Ukraine.
Since our last briefing to this Council almost a month ago, Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns have become a daily destructive pattern. This includes intense and systematic targeting of Ukrainian energy infrastructure across the country.
We are appalled by the increase in civilian casualties as a result of these relentless attacks.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 126 civilians were killed and 478 injured in March.
This is a 20 per cent increase compared with the previous month.
It is particularly disturbing that at least 57 children were killed or injured in March alone, doubling the number from February.
The deadly trend has continued this month with daily drone, missile, rocket and artillery attacks reported across the country.
Overnight and this morning we saw additional countrywide attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with some reportedly resulting in casualties, including fatalities.
On Monday, five people were reportedly killed in attacks in Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Poltava regions of Ukraine. Several more, including children, were reportedly injured.
Kharkiv, Odesa, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine also continue to suffer persistent attacks.
Since February 2022, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has recorded 10,810 civilians killed, including 600 children, and 20,556 civilians injured, among which 1,357 were children.
This is unacceptable.
We are also witnessing hostilities spreading across Ukraine’s borders, with regular cross-border strikes into the Russian Federation.
Attacks on civilians and on civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law. They must cease immediately, and we continue to condemn them, wherever they occur.
Madam President,
The intensifying attacks come with a heavy toll on Ukraine’s critical civilian infrastructure.
Since March, the large-scale coordinated attacks on critical infrastructure destroyed or damaged more than two dozen energy facilities throughout the country, including the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant. These attacks have disrupted access to electricity for millions of Ukrainians in large cities and in rural areas. Water supply was also disrupted in some locations.
We are concerned about the humanitarian consequences, given reports that the disruptions may last for many months due to the extent of the widespread damage.
In March, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also recorded a total of 12 medical facilities and 32 educational facilities destroyed or damaged.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ms. Edem Wosornu, Operations Director) will brief in more detail about the humanitarian situation and the UN response in Ukraine.
Madam President,
In a disturbing reminder of the serious risks posed by this war, on Sunday, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant - Europe’s largest and currently under the military occupation of the Russian Federation - was directly targeted in military action for the first time since November 2022. Three people were reportedly injured in the attack. Subsequent drone attacks were also reported on Monday and Tuesday.
According to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, these attacks represent a serious threat to nuclear safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and are a clear violation of the five basic principles of the International Atomic Energy Agency for protecting the facility.
We join Director General Grossi in his call for the immediate cessation of such inexcusable attacks to avoid a major nuclear accident.
No one can benefit – neither militarily nor politically – from attacking nuclear facilities. Instead, the consequences of a nuclear accident – whether intentional or not - could be catastrophic to us all.
Any action violating the basic principles that protect these sites must be avoided.
Madam President,
We welcome the renewal of the mandates of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.
Monitoring and reporting on the scale of human rights violations is an integral part of steps towards accountability.
It is therefore of utmost importance that these bodies can continue their crucial work to report on human rights and humanitarian law violations resulting from Russia’s invasion. We continue to urge the Russian Federation to fully cooperate and grant access to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and independent monitors to areas of Ukraine it occupies. OHCHR continues to have a daily presence near frontline and in conflict-affected areas, which allows OHCHR to document firsthand accounts of the human rights situation.
We continue to call for accountability for all violations of human rights, in line with international norms and standards.
Madam President,
The current trajectory of escalation of this war is a direct threat to regional stability and international security. Most of all, it is an existential threat to the people of Ukraine.
As we have repeatedly stated, we need a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine, in line with the Charter, international law and resolutions of the General Assembly, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
We therefore reiterate the call made by the General Assembly in support of de-escalation and a peaceful resolution of the conflict, in its resolution Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, adopted in February last year.
The United Nations remains ready to support all efforts to this end.
Thank you.
Sharp divisions emerged on Thursday as the General Assembly debated Russia’s veto on the Security Council which blocked renewal of the sanctions panel which monitors the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear weapon and missile programmes.
Russian attacks on cities and towns across Ukraine, including intense and systematic targeting of the energy infrastructure, “have become a daily destructive pattern” in recent weeks, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Thursday.
People in Gaza are struggling to survive, said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, who was part of a team carrying out an assessment mission on Wednesday in the southern city of Khan Younis following the Israeli military withdrawal last week.
Call for Applications – UN DPPA Women in Ceasefire Negotiations Course from 3 September to 6 November 2024
"Ceasefires are not only about stopping the fighting between belligerents. Effective ceasefire agreements protect civilians and enable humanitarian access to vulnerable populations. From a political standpoint, ceasefires are a major opportunity to set the foundation for inclusive and comprehensive peace talks." - Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
Women are systematically underrepresented as direct participants in ceasefire negotiations and implementation. The DPPA Women in Ceasefire Negotiations Course seeks to address this by honing the technical skills of women peacemakers and negotiators to enable their meaningful participation in ceasefire and security arrangement negotiations and implementation. The course targets mid- and senior level women mediators, women negotiators from conflict parties, and women peacemakers.
More information can be found in the flyer here.
Interested women candidates are invited to apply via this Application Form by 31 May 2024.
Colombia has reached an “important juncture” in advancing peace after decades of war, but efforts to sustain the current momentum must be redoubled, the head of a UN mission in the country told the Security Council on Tuesday.
At least 38 migrants - including women and children – died when their overcrowded boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the UN migration agency (IOM) reported on Tuesday.
The 60th round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) took place on 4-5 April 2024 in accordance with the six-point agreement of 12 August 2008 and implementing measures of 8 September 2008.
Despite the continued highly challenging regional and geopolitical environment, the participants reconfirmed their commitment to GID process as the only platform where the conflict consequences are being addressed since 2008.
The participants reviewed the security situation on the ground since the last round held in December 2023, and assessed it as relatively stable. There were extensive and substantive exchanges of views on ways to further address core issues on the GID agenda, including non-use of force and international security arrangements. The Co-Chairs called on the participants to think about innovative approaches and engage constructively in order to achieve progress and concrete results on these and other topics, for the benefit of the conflict-affected population and lasting peace.
The issue of internally displaced persons and refugees could not be discussed due to a walkout by some participants.
It was agreed to hold the next GID round on 25-26 June 2024.
The President of the UN General Assembly appealed on Monday for “all those with leverage” to use their power to bring an end to the six-month-long war in Gaza.
UN humanitarians on Monday made clear the emergency response in Haiti’s capital continues despite ongoing insecurity caused by months of gang-led violence there.
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency reiterated that attacks against nuclear power plants in Ukraine are “an absolute no go”, following direct military action targeting the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on Sunday.
The Security Council prepared to convene on Monday to consider a Palestinian request for United Nations membership as humanitarians expressed deep concerns about Israel’s planned invasion of Rafah and the desperate lack of aid reaching Gaza.
