On 9 February, the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia participated in the presentation of the project "...
On 9 February, the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia participated in the presentation of the project "...
Extreme violence and gross human rights abuses, including mass incidents of murder, gang rape and sniper attacks, have sharply increased in Cité Soleil on the outskirts of the Haitian capital, said a UN report published on Friday.
Acts of armed violence targeting schools in Haiti have spiked nine-fold in one year amid rising insecurity and widespread unrest, UNICEF warned on Thursday.
Despite leadership losses and diminished cash reserves, the extremist group ISIL, or Da'esh, continues to pose a threat to international peace and security, the UN counter-terrorism chief warned on Thursday in New York.
Amid the influx of weapons pouring into Ukraine from abroad, all arms transfers must abide strictly by international transit, safeguard and control regimes, and “must not derail the aspiration for peace”, the senior UN disarmament official told the Security Council on Wednesday.
A lack of job opportunities is the leading factor driving people to join fast-growing violent extremist groups in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new report released by the UN Development Programme on Tuesday.
The full scale of the multiple earthquake disaster in Türkiye and Syria is still unfolding, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, as they stressed the critical need to step up search and rescue efforts for victims and ensure that lifesaving aid reaches all those who need it.
Zambia’s police force will get nearly $1 million to boost women’s participation in global peace operations, a UN Women-hosted trust fund announced on Tuesday.
A new report released by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) finds “reasonable grounds” exist to believe the Syrian Government was responsible for a chemical weapons attack that killed 43 civilians in the suburban town of Douma in 2018, the organization’s senior official told the Security Council on Tuesday.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday he deeply regrets Mali’s recent decision to declare the top UN human rights representative as persona non grata.
The UN’s humanitarian affairs chief warned the Security Council on Monday that efforts must improve to reach nearly 18 million in need in war-torn Ukraine, since Russia’s full-scale invasion last year.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Monday called on Malian authorities to rescind their expulsion order for his top representative in the country.
New York, 6 February 2023
Female genital mutilation is an abhorrent violation of fundamental human rights that causes lifelong damage to the physical and mental health of women and girls. It is one of the most vicious manifestations of the patriarchy that permeates our world.
Some 4.2 million girls are at risk of being...
A UN peacekeeper was killed on Sunday in the restive eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after the helicopter he was travelling in came under fire after taking off from the city of Beni.
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New York, 4 February 2023
The International Day of Human Fraternity celebrates the values of compassion, religious understanding, and mutual respect.
These values underwrite peace and are the glue that hold our human family together.
Yet all over the world, they are being eroded.
By deepening divides, widening...
Two UN aid convoys have reached communities with acute needs near the contact line in Ukraine’s war-shattered east this week, relief coordinators reported on Friday.
| Country | Title | Name (Country) | Organizations | Date of appointment |
| Afghanistan | Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA |
Roza Otunbayeva |
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) |
2 September 2022 |
| African Union | Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union, UNOAU |
Parfait Onanga-Anyanga (Gabon) |
United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) |
22 February 2022 |
| Central Africa | Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa and Head of UNOCA | Abdou Abarry (Niger) | United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) | 28 July 2022 |
| Central Asia | Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Asia and Head of UNRCCA | Kaha Imnadze (Georgia) | UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) | 14 June 2023 |
| Colombia | Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Colombia and Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia | Carlos Ruiz Massieu (Mexico) | UN Verification Mission in Colombia | 10 December 2018 |
| Cyprus | Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus | United Nations Good Offices Mission | ||
| Geneva International Discussions | UN Representative to the Geneva International Discussions |
Ayşe Cihan Sultanoğlu (Turkey) |
United Nations Representative to the Geneva International Discussions (UNRGID) | 6 July 2018 |
| The Great Lakes region | Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to the Great Lakes Region | Huang Xia (China) | Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region |
17 January 2019 |
| Haiti | Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti |
María Isabel Salvador (Ecuador) |
United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) |
1 March 2023 |
| Horn of Africa | Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa |
Hanna Serwaa Tetteh (Ghana) |
22 February 2022 |
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| Hudaydah | Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) | Major General (retired) Michael Beary (Ireland) | United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) |
23 December 2021 |
| Iraq | Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq and Head of UNAMI | United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) | 31 August 2018 | |
| Lebanon | Special Coordinator of the Secretary-General for Lebanon | Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (Netherlands) |
Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) | 20 May 2024 |
| Libya | Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Libya and Head of UNSMIL | Abdoulaye Bathily (Senegal) | United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) | 2 September 2022 |
| Middle East | Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority | Tor Wennesland (Norway) | Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process | 21 December 2020 |
| Myanmar | Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar | Julie Bishop (Australia) | Office of Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar |
5 April 2024 |
| Somalia | Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and Head of Mission, UNSOM | Catriona Laing (United Kingdom) | United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) |
3 May 2023 |
| Sudan | Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan | United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission (UNITAMS) | ||
| Syria | Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria | Geir O. Pedersen (Norway) | Office of Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria |
31 October 2018 |
| West Africa and the Sahel | Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and Head of UNOWAS | Leonardo Santos Simão (Mozambique) | United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) |
2 May 2023 |
| Western Sahara | Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara | Staffan de Mistura (Italy) | 6 October 2021 | |
| Yemen | Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen |
Hans Grundberg (Sweden) |
Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen (OSESGY) |
6 August 2021 |
For more information about the UN global leadership team, visit: https://www.un.org/sg/en/global-leadership/home
The Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), United Nations Representative to the Geneva International Discussions Cihan Sultanoğlu, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus Viorel Moșanu and European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar, reiterate the full commitment of their respective organizations to the GID process.
The next round of the Discussions, which was due to be held at the end of February 2023, has been postponed to early April 2023 due to timing issues.
However, the Co-Chairs reaffirm their readiness to engage in consultations in person with all participants, both on the process generally and on the upcoming meeting particularly.
Iraq’s political class must urgently seize the current brief window of opportunity to break chronic cycles of instability, the UN Special Representative told the Security Council on Thursday.
The UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on Thursday voiced concern over the worsening security situation in Nigeria, while urging the authorities to ensure counter-terrorism operations are conducted in line with international human rights and humanitarian law.
Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo's remarks
at the opening of the “Diplomacy for Peace” exhibit
31 January 2023, New York
Thank you, friends and colleagues, all for coming today for the opening of our exhibit – Diplomacy for Peace: 75 Years of United Nations Special Political Missions”. Today’s event kicks off a year of commemoration of this special anniversary, which we share with peacekeeping and other important aspects of the UN’s work. I now have the pleasure to give the floor to the Chef de Cabinet, Courtenay Rattray, for opening remarks.
Thank you, Courtenay for your remarks. You’ve all heard succinctly and incisively highlighted the enduring importance of our special political missions.
The work of communication and education about a very complex part of our work is essential. As Courtenay pointed out, the SPMs come in all shapes and sizes. But they share one objective: to help prevent and resolve conflict and build sustainable peace. Some of them regularly make the headlines brokering truces or political transitions. Others toil quietly defusing tensions and discreetly bringing people together to make peace. And they are all looking at how different existing and potential phenomena will shape the global peace and security environment.
We ask a lot of what are, essentially, relatively modest presences. We want to show what they have achieved and how much more they can do. This requires continued support – political as well as financial - from member states. With that support, I am certain that SPMs will continue to be at the forefront of diplomacy for peace.
Thank you again for you presence. I invite you view the exhibit and I hope you enjoy it.
Top UN-appointed independent rights experts on Tuesday called on the authorities in Mali to launch an immediate probe into the mass execution of civilians last year, allegedly by Government forces and the Russia-based private military contractor, the Wagner Group.
The international community must promptly deny the legitimacy of Myanmar’s military junta, the UN-appointed independent expert on the situation of human rights in the country said briefing at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, launching a critical report as the coup enters its third year on Wednesday.
The Government of South Sudan, in its first ever briefing to the UN Peacebuilding Commission, outlined its priorities on Tuesday, addressing a host of recommendations from civil society speakers and UN officials.
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL ROSEMARY A. DICARLO’S
REMARKS TO THE PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION ON
THE NEW AGENDA FOR PEACE
New York, 30 JANUARY 2023
Excellencies,
It is a pleasure to join you today on behalf of the Secretary-General.
I am delighted that this Commission is meeting to discuss how the New Agenda for Peace can help advance the peacebuilding and sustaining peace.
When the Secretary-General presented his report on “Our Common Agenda” in 2021, he gave Member States a candid diagnosis of the entrenched challenges we face.
As he said then, “on almost every front, our world is under enormous stress”.
His proposal to write a New Agenda for Peace was a direct response – a recognition that we must revitalize our collective security system and our multilateral action for peace.
Unfortunately, the global peace and security environment has deteriorated – even since the release of the report.
Divisions among Member States are deepening. They are reducing our collective ability to address common threats and seize opportunities for cooperation. At the same time, pressures on the most vulnerable in this world continue to grow. The rise in food and energy prices, due in large part to the war in Ukraine, are compounding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals is lagging.
The Secretary-General has often and vividly pointed out the dangers of a world of increasing inequality.
The global architecture to manage disagreements and de-escalate conflicts has become weaker. Longstanding commitments, particularly in the areas of nuclear disarmament and strategic stability have eroded. These are significant concerns. They heighten the threat of miscalculation and escalation, and they have potentially devastating global consequences.
Excellencies,
There is no question that this is a difficult time to talk about a New Agenda for Peace. We are under no illusions. And yet, challenging as this task might be, it could not be more vital.
The original Agenda for Peace was issued in 1992. As then, we are at an inflection point – like the early 1990s though, there is today less optimism and greater uncertainty about what the transition into a new era may bring.
The New Agenda for Peace presents a unique opportunity to take stock and change course. It will seek to articulate a unifying vision to help reforge the commitment of Member States to the collective security system and the values of the United Nations Charter.
From our perspective, three core values should cut across the New Agenda for Peace: trust, solidarity, and universality. These go to the heart of many of the problems we see today, including a deep sense of alienation felt by many people in institutions and public life.
Excellencies,
We are grateful for the many contributions we received from Member States – as well as regional organizations and civil society – to inform the thinking around the New Agenda for Peace. There is clearly a broad consensus on many of the challenges we face, even if there are differences on how they can best be addressed.
Many Member States highlighted conflict prevention and peacebuilding as their priority. These objectives will be at the heart of the New Agenda for Peace.
Yes, we need greater investments, both political and financial to prevent conflict and sustain peace. And achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is vital.
But we also need new approaches with prevention, violence reduction and peacebuilding as universal goals, for each Member State to pursue. Indeed, national efforts are central to sustain peace. We must support such efforts to the best of our ability.
The New Agenda for Peace will also explore the prominent role of regional actors in peace and security and the need to strengthen, rebuild or develop frameworks that promote regional security cooperation.
It will call for Member States to adopt new norms, regulations and accountability mechanisms to strengthen the multilateral system in areas where gaps have emerged.
It will look at how the diplomatic toolbox of the Charter, in particular the approaches highlighted in Chapter VI on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, must be used to its full potential.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative demonstrates once again the unique and important role of the United Nations, working in tandem with Member States, in brokering solutions to global challenges. We must continue to build on the ability the Organization to innovate and adapt to meet the needs of the time.
The New Agenda for Peace must place inclusion at its centre. It must focus on how women’s full, meaningful and effective political participation are closely connected to our efforts to prevent conflict and build sustainable peace.
Simply put, without half the population participating and deciding, there cannot be sustainable peace.
Recognizing that young people will live their entire lives with the consequences of the decisions we make today, the New Agenda for Peace will also look into strengthening the meaningful inclusion of youth across all areas of peace and security.
Excellencies,
The contributions this Commission makes to advance our efforts to avert conflict and build peace are invaluable.
We have heard this in many of our informal consultations so far. How the Commission can become even more effective is a question which I know is of utmost importance to you, too. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on recommendations the New Agenda for Peace might make to support the role, functions and enhancement of the Peacebuilding Commission.
We welcome the expansion of the Peacebuilding Commission’s geographical and thematic engagements as well as the continued emphasis on inclusive approaches in support of national peacebuilding initiatives.
Helping countries build more inclusive societies, based on trust, social cohesion, and human rights, requires a coherent approach. It means addressing all drivers of conflict, from the adverse effects of climate change to weak governance and human rights challenges.
The Commission’s convening role remains instrumental in bringing the UN system and its partners together, as we recently saw in meetings with ECOSOC, with regional development banks, and in various country and regional engagements.
It has also been encouraging to see how the Commission increasingly facilitates the sharing of experiences across regions. A recent meeting with Timor Leste, for example, provided valuable insights into the country’s transition and peacebuilding process, which other States might wish to consider as they navigate their own challenges.
The unanimous support for the General Assembly resolution on financing for peacebuilding last September provided a clear signal: Member States recognize the wisdom of investing in prevention and peacebuilding.
Now it is in their power to bring this process to a successful conclusion.
Excellencies,
We have a moral obligation to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war in the words of the UN Charter and chart a path through these uncertain times.
And so, we must accelerate our work to revitalize multilateral action and uphold that promise. The Peacebuilding Commission is at the heart of these efforts.
Thank you very much.
The UN chief and top officials have strongly condemned the suicide bombing at a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan on Monday, that left at least 59 dead and 150 injured.
Alarmed by the recent killing and injury of many children in Israel and Palestine, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) voiced an appeal to parties on Monday to de-escalate tensions and refrain from violence.
In an interview with UN News, Gennady Trukhanov, the Mayor of Odesa, describes the inclusion of the historic city centre and port in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a great victory, which will help in the protection of the Odesa’s cultural treasures.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called for Member States to urge the military leadership in Myanmar to respect the will and needs of its own people, as risks to regional stability grow.
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