New York, 12 May 2020
Let me begin by thanking Ambassador Omar Hilale of the Kingdom of Morocco for this very timely initiative. It is heartening to see so many religious leaders joining forces today in a spirit of solidarity.Our world faces a crisis like no other. The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a global health emergency. It is...
Three UN peacekeepers from Chad were killed in northern Mali on Sunday when their convoy hit a roadside bomb near Aguelhok, in the restive Kidal region. The improvised device also seriously injured four others who are now receiving medical care, the UN Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) said in a statement.
Bogotá, 9 May 2020 - The UN Verification Mission in Colombia condemns the murder of Wilder Daniel Marín Alarcón, a member of the Revolutionary Alternative Force of the Common (FARC) party, occurred on 7 May in the municipality of Bello, Antioquia. With Wilder, there are already 24 cases of murders, in 2020, of those who are committed to their process of reincorporation.
During the COVID-19 context, violence in the conflict-affected areas has continued. Since the...
The UN Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has condemned several recent attacks on civilian areas of the Libyan Capital, Tripoli, which have reportedly caused deaths and injuries.
On 8 and 9 May, the UN commemorates the millions who lost their lives during the Second World War, the tragic conflict that led to the birth of the United Nations. In a video message released late on Friday, UN chief António Guterres warned that divisions still exist, and called for a world based on peace and unity.
The COVID-19 outbreak could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in Haiti, endangering many years of hard-won progress in the Caribbean nation, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) said on Friday.
As civilian casualties mount across Syria and human rights violations continue unabated, the UN rights chief expressed serious concern on Friday that some parties to the conflict, including ISIL terrorist fighters, may be using the COVID-19 pandemic as “an opportunity to regroup and inflict violence on the population”.
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
COVID-19Colombia: Need to put the armed conflict on lockdown
Peacebuilding: Joint blogpost on COVID-19 in fragile settings
Central African Republic: Impact of COVID-19 on upcoming elections
Security CouncilHigh-level meeting on the 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War in Europe |
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Women, Peace and SecurityWebinar on women’s participation in peace processes
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for concerted global action to quash the “tsunami” of hate speech that has risen alongside the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you, Mr. Minister, for the invitation to participate in today’s meeting to commemorate 75 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. This is another opportunity to reflect on the toll of that horrific conflict and its legacy, for Europe and the world.
It is both poignant and ironic that we are not able to meet in person today, because we are facing one of the greatest challenges to humanity since the end of the Second World War. How we react to the new challenge before us - the COVID-19 pandemic - could be as significant as how the world rebuilt after fascism was vanquished.
In May 1945, visionary leaders chose multilateralism and international cooperation over division and isolation. A choice that led to the establishment of the United Nations Organization.
These same leaders created a rules-based system with mechanisms to resolve differences peacefully, and all committed to the principle of collective security. The rules-based system was also built on the respect of human rights and human dignity, a necessary value to overcome the legacy of the Holocaust and atrocities of the conflict.
European countries played a large role in this architecture. For the past 75 years, the countries of Europe have been stalwart supporters both of multilateralism and conflict prevention, lending indispensable support to the United Nations.
The creation of the European Economic Community and European Union signalled that countries would put aside their differences and work toward a more prosperous future of benefit to all members. And the adoption of the Helsinki Accords and the establishment of the Organization of Cooperation and Security in Europe was key to reducing tensions between East and West during the post-War period.
And while this system created after the war has brought relative peace to Europe and other parts of the world, tensions and violent conflicts persist, including in Europe.
Preventing and resolving violent conflicts around the world is at the heart of the United Nations peace and security pillar. The Secretary-General has made prevention one of his highest priorities, including the full and effective implementation of the women, peace and security agenda.
His vision focuses on the need to mitigate wider stressors and shocks that can lead to political crises and violent conflict. He has repeatedly called for a “surge in diplomacy for peace”.
In his briefing to the Security Council on “Conflicts in Europe” at the beginning of his tenure, the Secretary-General urged all stakeholders to intensify their efforts to define a peace and security agenda that could effectively address current complex challenges.
I would like to recall his appeal to the Security Council for an honest reflection on the conflicts in the region. Europe is not immune from instability, and we should not take peace and prosperity in the region for granted.
The United Nations contributed to bringing an end to brutal wars in the Western Balkans in the 1990s. And yet, full peace and reconciliation have still not been achieved there. Meanwhile, there remain several protracted conflicts on the continent, and the crises in Georgia in 2008 and in Ukraine in 2014 showed that new outbreaks of violence were all too possible.
Meanwhile, seventy-five years since the end of the war, we are hearing disturbing echoes of the past. The voices of populism, authoritarianism, nationalism, and xenophobia are making themselves heard ever more loudly. We must confront those who would drag the world back to a violent and shameful past.
The United Nations continues to engage in peace efforts in Europe, including negotiations to reach a comprehensive and durable settlement to the long-standing Cyprus question. We are also working with regional organizations in the Geneva International Discussions.
In addition, we fully support the lead role and vital work of the Normandy Four and Trilateral Contact Group for Ukraine, the OSCE-led Minsk Group Co-Chairs process on Nagorno-Karabakh, the OSCE-led “5+2” settlement process for Transnistria, and the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. It is time to find negotiated solutions to these conflicts and build lasting peace. This will require political will, courage and leadership by all concerned.
Yes, this is easier said than done. But if ever there was a time to look beyond narrow interests, this is it. Europe, with international help, built a more prosperous and peaceful future after the cataclysm of the war three quarters of a century ago.
Today, a deadly pandemic threatens us all. But it also gives us an opportunity to unite our efforts to first overcome the crisis and then create a more equitable and peaceful world.
Mr. Minister
Recognizing the unprecedented global challenge of COVID-19, the Secretary-General called on 23 March for a global ceasefire. He urged all warring parties to silence their guns in order to facilitate conditions for the delivery of humanitarian aid, create the space for diplomatic engagement, and address the needs of those most vulnerable to the pandemic.
His appeal has garnered endorsements from many Member States, regional organizations, religious leaders and civil society platforms, as well as several armed groups. The voice of European Member States has been critical in amplifying this call.
Regrettably, in many places, support for the Secretary-General’s call has yet to translate into tangible results. We need a concerted international effort to move conflict parties to stop the fighting, especially as the pandemic injects countries with far-reaching humanitarian, socio-economic and potentially political consequences.
The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed highlighted, once again, the importance of working collectively. When the Secretary-General decided last year that the UN would mark its 75th anniversary by looking forward not backward to what citizens around the world expected from the United Nations of the future, no one could have predicted we would be facing a crisis of this scale.
Out of concern that the world was growing more divided, the Secretary-General called for a return to the spirit of the Charter, to “We the peoples”, to renew international cooperation.
As we look back on the lessons of the past 75 years, we must find opportunity in this time of crisis, to put aside our differences and strengthen the channels for dialogue and cooperation. We must also exercise the solidarity needed to help the more vulnerable countries respond to the challenges they are now facing, understanding that their security and well-being affects us all. We must also find that community of purpose that existed in the immediate post-war period.
This is essential for safeguarding lasting peace and stability, in Europe and beyond.
Thank you, Mr. Minister
Ashgabat, TURKMENISTAN
Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Central Asia, Natalia Gherman, on behalf of the Secretary-General, Antonio Gutterres, expressed support to the collaborative efforts of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan aimed at mitigating the consequences of the breach at the Sardoba dam that happened on 1 May.
High-level interaction and the personal attention of...
Ashgabat, TURKMENISTAN
Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Central Asia, Natalia Gherman, on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, expressed support to the collaborative efforts of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan aimed at mitigating the consequences of the breach at the Sardoba dam that happened on 1 May.
High-level interaction and the personal attention...
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and his Special Representative in Iraq, welcomed the long-delayed formation of a new Government in Baghdad on Thursday and called for meaningful reforms to be put into place to better the lives of the Iraqi people and strengthen democratic institutions.
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S GLOBAL APPEAL TO ADDRESS AND COUNTER
COVID-19-RELATED HATE SPEECH
COVID-19 does not care who we are, where we live, what we believe or about any other distinction. We need every ounce of solidarity to tackle it together. Yet the pandemic continues to unleash a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering.
Anti-foreigner sentiment has surged online...
In the face of the pandemic, DPPA, at UN headquarters and in the field, has adapted its operations in order to continue providing support to Member States and partners. The Department is closely watching the impact of Covid-19 and government responses in individual countries, especially those hosting our Special Political Missions (SPMs).
Bosnia and Herzegovina is weathering the COVID-19 outbreak better than some other nations, but there’s a real danger that corruption will undermine global efforts to help it contain the pandemic, the international community’s High Representative to the Western Balkan country told the Security Council on Wednesday.
As senior UN officials spread the alarm over the rapid spread of COVID-19 through prisons – where physical distancing is nigh on impossible, and hygiene is often inadequate – UN Corrections, Justice and Human Rights teams are working to protect prison staff and detainees from the ravages of the virus.
Unabated violence, particularly in and around the Libyan capital, has now been raging for more than a year, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) told the Security Council in a virtual briefing on Tuesday, warning that war crimes may have been committed.
New-York, 6 May 2020
The COVID-19 crisis is affecting every aspect of our societies, revealing the extent of exclusion that the most marginalized members of society experience.
Today, I would like to highlight how the pandemic is affecting the world’s 1 billion people with disabilities.
Even under normal circumstances, persons with disabilities are less...
A new UN report finds that some 19 million children were displaced within their own countries due to conflict and violence in 2019, more than in any other year, making them among the most vulnerable to the global spread of COVID-19.
Excellencies, distinguished panel members, dear friends, Good morning, good afternoon and good evening. It is a great pleasure to speak to you, and I hope you are all keeping safe and well. We mark World Press Freedom Day every year as an important moment to focus on media freedom and the protection of journalists. This cause remains essential. I have spent time in war zones and refugee...
This Week in DPPA is a brief roundup of political and peacebuilding events and developments at UNHQ and around the world.
COVID-19Afghanistan – Ceasefire necessary to fight COVID-19 Colombia - Transport of humanitarian aid The UN Verification Mission facilitated the transport of humanitarian aid for the community of Mandé, Urrao in Antioquia on 27 April. The aid was sent by the Governor's Office as part of the COVID-19 emergency for the community and people in the process of reincorporation. That same day, the Mission facilitated the transfer of 200 food provisions for families in Vista Hermosa, Meta, donated by the Saldarriaga Concha Foundation and Colombia Cuida. Both journeys were made in the two Mission helicopters. For more Information, contact us
Security CouncilOnanga-Anyanga: Pandemic will likely have negative effect on peace processes in Sudan and South SudanParfait Onanga-Anyanga, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, briefed the Council on progress in the implementation of Resolution 2046 on 28 April. The resolution concerns outstanding bilateral issues between Sudan and South Sudan and the conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. The Special Envoy said that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely have a negative effect on the peace processes in the two countries, including by significantly slowing down engagements. “I am particularly worried by the exponential increase in a number of COVID-19 related deaths in Sudan. Urgent external support will be needed to help both countries offset these unprecedented challenges,” Onanga-Anyanga said. Read his full remarks here Read more in UN News
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Pedersen: Syria needs a ceasefire arrangement that results in sustained calm and is nationwide in scope AfghanistanNew head of UNAMA speaks with Afghan President
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New York, 1 May 2020
In many countries around the world, today is a day to celebrate workers. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic unfolding around us, we are truly seeing workers who too often toil unseen.
Perhaps as never before, we recognize the role that essential workers play in keeping our societies functioning — getting food to tables and markets, keeping...
The members of the Security Council expressed their strong concern at the 25 April declaration of the Southern Transitional Council (STC). They reaffirmed their strong commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and called for expediting implementation of the Riyadh Agreement. They expressed concern that the STC actions could distract from the efforts of Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to secure a nationwide...
In northeast Nigeria, where armed conflict has forced millions from their homes, the UN’s migration agency, IOM, is supporting the construction of quarantine shelters, as the region braces for an outbreak of COVID-19 which, it warns, would have ‘devastating consequences’ for those who have been displaced.
Mr. President,
1. Last month, you, the members of the Security Council, “called on all parties to ensure a sustained period of calm throughout the country and reaffirmed the need for the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2254”. This signal from the Council was timely, following the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate global ceasefire, and my appeal for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and an all-out effort to combat COVID-19. Let me appeal to you to preserve this common purpose.
2. I strongly believe that Syria needs a ceasefire arrangement that results in sustained calm and is nationwide in scope – one that does not see new assaults across lines of contact, and enables Syrians to access equipment and resources necessary to combat COVID-19. We cannot afford hostilities which would surely lead to another surge in displaced vulnerable communities – something that we witnessed in horror only two months ago. We could not afford this scenario before the pandemic; the price could only be higher now.
Mr. President,
3. This past month, I have maintained active channels with the Syrian parties. I have also spoken with foreign ministers and senior officials from a range of key players, including Russia, Turkey and Iran – whose foreign ministers recently conferred virtually; the United States; the European Union and many European states; and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and several Arab ministers. I have appreciated the engagement of all with my efforts to facilitate progress on the political track and to sustain ceasefire arrangements. I will be continuing active engagement with these and other interlocutors in the days and weeks ahead.
Mr. President,
4. I welcome the fact that there has been significant calm in many areas of Syria – especially relative to the apexes of violence of previous years. We have not witnessed all-out offensives nor further displacements since early March. Russian-Turkish arrangements have taken hold in the northwest, and I do see a positive difference on the ground, including compared with previous arrangements. The level of incidents is low.
5. Six Russian-Turkish joint patrols have taken place. They have been challenged -- but there have been responses to those challenges too.
6. I appeal to all relevant parties to address internationally proscribed terrorist groups in a cooperative and targeted manner, so as not to compromise the existing calm and the
COVID-19 response, and so as to ensure full respect of international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians.
7. I also note that the different ceasefire arrangements between Russia, Turkey and the US in the northeast also continue to broadly hold.
8. But, Mr. President, this is an uneasy and fragile calm in both northwest and northeast Syria. And there is the constant risk of escalation in Syria.
9. Just yesterday, a bomb in a market in Afrin reportedly killed more than 40 people. Security conditions in southern Syria are concerning. A worrying resurgence by ISIL in desert areas in central and eastern Syria has continued. I am also concerned about reports of Israeli airstrikes in rural Homs and Damascus, the most recent of which was reported this past Monday.
Mr. President,
10. The Syrian Government has continued to take increasingly significant steps to combat COVID-19. So have the Syrian Opposition Coalition-and other de facto authorities in areas outside government control. International donors have pledged and provided financial and material support. Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock will brief you this afternoon on the UN family’s efforts to help build capacity to test and treat COVID19 in Syria. 11. While testing remains limited, the officially reported COVID-19 caseload in Syria is comparatively low: 42 reported cases in areas controlled by the Syrian Government; 1 reported case in the northeast; and no reported cases in the northwest. Mr. President, we all hope that these low numbers will continue – but as in all countries, the risk of a major COVID-19 outbreak in Syria is there. The trend lines in the coming weeks will be very important. So will a ramping up of testing and treatment capacity in all parts of Syria, along with information sharing between all parties.
12. Syria faces many challenges that can hamstring a response to the pandemic. Syria also lacks sufficient health professionals, medical equipment and supplies. The healthcare system is degraded in some areas and destroyed in others, following nine years of armed conflict. You all saw the recent findings of the Secretary-General’s Board of Inquiry, a terrible reminder of what has happened in this conflict.
13. Let me reiterate the need for full, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access, using all modalities, including scaled-up cross line and cross border access is important.
14. As part of the global efforts, the Secretary-General has appealed for the waiver of sanctions that can undermine the capacity of the country to ensure access to food, essential health supplies and COVID-19 medical support to respond to the pandemic. This has been affirmed in direct information to the Syrian government. The United Nations, and I personally, have directly engaged concerned States so that all humanitarian exemptions to sanctions remain available and are fully utilized to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. I note the positive response of different countries to the United Nations on this aspect.
15. Turning to the economic situation, after nine years of conflict and a wide range of factors and measures, Syria faces extremely grave economic conditions. We have recently seen price increases and shortages among other further worsening trends. The measures rightly taken by the authorities to combat COVID-19 in Syria have – as in all countries – also had an economic impact too.
16. I have long urged the parties to move to large-scale and unilateral releases of detainees and abductees and more meaningful actions on missing persons. The pandemic makes this humanitarian imperative more urgent than ever. I continue to urge the Syrian Government and all other Syrian parties to follow the lead of other governments around the world in releasing detainees. We really need to see this happening as part of all the efforts to stem the spread of the virus in Syria.
17. The need for an all-out effort to combat COVID-19 in Syria was conveyed to me on Monday in consultations with civil society actors in all different parts of Syria via our Civil Society Support Room, which included many medical NGOs and other grass-roots organisations. They are doing all they can to raise awareness and support local communities. They reflected the diversity of the challenges faced in the various parts of the country, and a common belief that more can and needs to be done to support the efforts underway.
18. The Women’s Advisory Board has been convening virtually every week since the risk of a COVID-19 crisis emerged. I spoke with them yesterday. They expressed support for a sustained ceasefire throughout the country, and support for medical staff and provision of food, medicine, medical supplies and equipment to access all regions of Syria, without delay or impediment. They emphasised that women are at the forefront of communitybased initiatives to raise awareness and prevent the spread of COVID-19, and explained how they are carrying additional caregiving responsibilities at home due to the movement restrictions. They also noted heightened risks of domestic violence in isolation settings – and fears of potential marginalization of women as COVID-19 response gradually pushes some to more traditional roles. They stressed that nothing should come in the way of the furtherance of the political process in accordance with resolution 2254.
19. In that regard, I briefed you last month that the agenda for a next session of the Constitutional Committee had been agreed between the co-chairs. It will be important to build on this with a substantive discussion during a next round. The co-chairs have been clear in their dealings with me that agreement during a next session on national foundations and principles is not a precondition to moving to other items in subsequent sessions. I remain in regular contact with them on how to resume the meetings in Geneva as soon as the situation allows – and I have been in touch with the civil society members of the committee and will further that too. We continue to explore whether any preparatory work can take place in the meantime. I urge all members to be seriously preparing for renewed work.
Mr. President,
20. I reiterate my appeal for a nationwide ceasefire and an all-out effort to ensure that Syrians across the country will have access to the equipment and resources needed to combat and treat COVID-19. I stand ready to work with the government and the opposition and all relevant players on the ground, as well as key countries with weight and influence. I see every possibility for relevant players to come together in a common effort to support sustained calm and scaling up of the response to the pandemic. This is the only responsible path.
21. And I believe it is the path that also could pave the way for progress on the broader political process to implement Security Council resolution 2254. We all agree: there is no military solution to the Syria crisis. We must act on our common humanity, help build trust and confidence including via reciprocal measures, and begin to move towards a political settlement that can meet the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and fully restore Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Early signs are that the COVID-19 virus poses a greater direct health risk to men, and particularly older men. But the pandemic is exposing and exploiting inequalities of all kinds, including gender inequality. In the long term, its impact on women’s health, rights and freedoms could harm us all.
Women are already suffering the deadly impact of lockdowns and quarantines. These restrictions are...
