New York, 17 October 2022
As we mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we face a harsh truth: the world is moving backwards.
COVID-19 plunged millions into poverty, setting back more than four years of hard-won progress. Inequalities are widening. National and household economies are battered by job losses, skyrocketing food and energy prices, and the gathering...
<p>The UN’s deputy relief chief <a href="https://www.unocha.org/story/un-secretary-general-appoints-joyce-msuya-a... target="_blank">Joyce Msuya</a> stressed on Sunday that life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection in Yemen must be ramped up to protect the lives of millions of vulnerable people across the war-ravaged country.</p>
<p>The UN Secretary-General <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2022-10-15/statement-attri... a statement on Saturday</a> expressing grave concern over the escalation of fighting in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where Government troops and separatist forces have been locked in conflict since November 2020.</p>
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<p>An unrelenting series of crises has trapped vulnerable Haitians in a cycle of growing desperation, without access to food, fuel, markets, jobs and public services, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday.</p>
<p>An unrelenting series of crises has trapped vulnerable Haitians in a cycle of growing desperation, without access to food, fuel, markets, jobs and public services, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday.</p>
<p><span><span>New uncertainty and “a heightened risk of war” now prevails across Yemen, following the end of a long truce which brought significant dividends, the UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg told the Security Council on Thursday.</span></span></p>
New York, 13 October 2022
Climate disasters are hurting countries and economies like never before.
Ever-rising greenhouse gas emissions are supercharging extreme weather events across the planet.
I saw first-hand the devastation unleashed by the recent floods in Pakistan.
These increasing...
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL MARTHA AMA A. POBEE
REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
THREATS TO INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY:
CLIMATE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA
New York, 12 October 2022
Excellences,
Mesdames et Messieurs,
Je voudrais remercier le Gabon d'avoir organisé ce débat et son Excellence, le Ministre des Affaires étrangères Michaël Moussa-Adamo, pour sa présidence de cette réunion, qui est opportune et importante.
The climate emergency is a danger to peace. And although there is no direct link between climate change and conflict, climate change exacerbates existing risks and creates new ones.
Africa, the continent with the lowest total greenhouse gas emissions, is seeing temperatures rising faster than the global average. Africa lies at the frontlines of the unfolding crisis.
From Dakar to Djibouti, desertification and land degradation drive competition for resources and erode livelihoods and food security for millions.
In the greater Horn of Africa, a devastating drought is forcing families to move far from their homes. In the Sahel, conflicts over resources are intensifying. Violent extremists are adeptly exploiting these for their own ends.
To support the African continent in addressing the impact of climate change on peace and security, we must act on multiple fronts. We can no longer afford to do business as usual.
Unquestionably, we need ambitious climate action, and accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement. We look to COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh in November, an African-owned, African-focused COP, for meaningful commitments from the largest emitters. We cannot hope to achieve lasting peace if we do not meet our climate goals.
There are three additional priorities for action I would like to highlight today.
First, we need to increase our capacity for risk analysis and integrate a climate lens into our conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding efforts.
This requires more and better data. With the help of innovation partners, we are tapping into new tools to better understand climate projections and trends, in order to reinforce our analytical and early warning capacity.
In Central Africa, for instance, we are working to develop a satellite-powered dashboard to give new insights into water availability and have better understanding of the intersection of transhumance, climate change and conflict.
This kind of work would not be possible without Climate, Peace and Security Advisors deployed in climate vulnerable regions to boost the capacity of UN field missions.
Both our analysis and our resulting engagement must become more regionally-focused. Climate change knows no borders. Its implications for peace and security tend to be most prominent in borderland areas, which require cross-border resource-sharing or human mobility. Yet, existing peacebuilding efforts are often entirely based on single countries rather than reflective of this regional dimension.
It is time we change that. In Central Africa our regional office, UNOCA, earlier this year completed an assessment of the implications of climate change for peace and security across the region. Among its recommendations, the assessment stressed the need for systematic collaboration, cooperation and partnership on climate security at the subregional level. To this end, efforts to develop a shared subregional vision and governance framework to institutionalize joint responses and interventions in the subregion in the short, medium, and long term are needed. The office is now working with partners to support the development of a sub-regional climate change strategy by the Economic Community of Central African States.
And in West Africa, the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel is working closely with the Economic Community of West African States on good practices to prevent herder-farmer conflicts region-wide, including through land tenure reform and public communication.
Second, our efforts to deliver peace and security must place people at the centre. We need to learn from those who experience daily, the consequences of climate change and leverage their expertise to develop effective climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Women are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts. But they are also crucial agents of change. They often possess unique knowledge that can help decrease tensions and strengthen social cohesion, leading to more sustainable peace outcomes that benefit people.
In Niger, for instance, the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund has supported local land committees accompanied by women mediators that have helped resolve community conflicts related to land use and management of natural resources.
Youth, too, are key stakeholders driving innovative climate and peacebuilding action. We see their activism across Africa and have heard their testimony in this Chamber. The actions we take today to address the linkages between climate change, peace and security will shape their future.
Third, we must seize opportunities for climate action and peacebuilding to reinforce each other.
The Secretary-General has emphasized this repeatedly.
Peacebuilding and climate action share many of the same objectives, namely resilient, just, and inclusive societies. Coherent policies are good for climate and for peace.
In this connection, the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel is expanding its capacity to advise partners on conflict sensitive climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. This engagement will help develop the mechanisms to ensure that investment in adaptation and resilience reaches those most vulnerable and affected by conflict.
The Peacebuilding Fund, too, is increasingly adopting a climate lens: Since 2017 the Fund has invested over USD 85 million in more than 40 climate-sensitive projects.
A review of Fund projects currently underway will provide valuable direction for future efforts.
Excellencies,
Vital to this ambitious agenda are multi-dimensional partnerships that connect the work of the United Nations, regional organizations, Member States, international financial institutions, civil society, the private sector, as well as international and local researchers.
The United Nations is committed to expanding existing partnerships and forging new ones.
We have established within our own system, the Climate Security Mechanism - a joint initiative between the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the Department of Peace Operations, the UN Environment Programme and the UN Development Programme - to more systematically address climate, peace and security risks.
Delivering on a commitment of international collaboration is a significant undertaking. It will require all of us to work together, in new and unprecedented ways.
We look to affected countries and regions to guide us in these efforts.
Africa’s leadership is essential.
Our response today does not match the magnitude of the challenge we are facing.
Let us move faster. We look forward to more partnerships and collaboration at all levels.
Je vous remercie.
<p>The head of the <a href="https://colombia.unmissions.org/en">UN Verification Mission in Colombia</a> told the Security Council on Wednesday that with the recent election of President Gustavo Petro, expectations were running high for progress towards the full and final implementation of a lasting peace deal, after decades of civil conflict.</p>
<p>African States are on the front line of the climate crisis, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday, but far more action is needed to turn the tide on rising emissions, and reduce global warming.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.un.org/en/ga/">UN General Assembly</a> passed a resolution by a large majority on Wednesday, calling on countries not to recognise the four regions of Ukraine which Russia has claimed, following so-called referendums held late last month, and demanding that Moscow reverse course on its "attempted illegal annexation".</p>
<p><span><span><span>More than 140 people have been killed in horrific intercommunal violence in the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing/2022/10/634521334/violence-erupts-dr... on Tuesday, briefing journalists in Geneva, that some victims had been beheaded. </span></span></span></p>
<p>Cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) is stronger than ever, however major challenges remain, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday. </p>
New York, 11 October 2022
On the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child, we celebrate the lives and achievements of girls across the world.
When girls are supported to realize their human rights, they can reach their potential and create a better world for themselves, their communities and...
<p><span><span><span><span>Amid a deteriorating security situation in Haiti, UN Security-General António Guterres <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2022-10-09/statement-attri... on Sunday for</a> the Security Council to consider deploying armed forces to help the country address immense humanitarian concerns.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The UN chief António Guterres <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2022-10-10/statement-attri... that large-scale strikes</a> by the Russian military on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other locations on Monday, were deeply shocking and represented “another unacceptable escalation” of the war.</p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The door for a diplomatic solution to end the fighting between Russia and Ukraine must be kept open, and any threat to use nuclear weapons, “universally condemned”, said the President of the UN General Assembly on Monday.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
New York, 10 October 2022
Nearly 1 billion people live with a mental health condition.
But mental health remains one of the most neglected aspects of healthcare.
Some countries have only two mental health workers for every 100 000 people.
The social and economic repercussions are profound.
...<p><span><span><span><span>Amid a deteriorating security situation in Haiti, UN Security-General António Guterres called on Sunday for the Security Council to consider deploying armed forces to help the country address immense humanitarian concerns.</span></span></span></span></p>
New York, 9 October 2022
On World Post Day, we celebrate the critical contributions of postal workers in connecting people around the world with essential services that improve their daily lives and boost the development of their communities.
With a global network and universal service mandate to ensure access for all, the postal sector is a key partner in our effort to deliver the...
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<p>The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has called for investigations into deaths and injuries resulting from last week’s coup in Burkina Faso, Spokesperson Seif Magango said on Friday.</p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span><span>Urgently needed aid relief has reached areas of northeast Ukraine recently reclaimed from Russian control amid ongoing fighting, </span></span></span><a href="https://www.unocha.org/ukraine"><span><span><span>UN humanitarians</span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US"><span><span> said on Friday. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>A horrific attack on a childcare centre in northern Thailand that has left dozens dead, prompted strong international condemnation on Thursday. UN Secretary-General </span></span></span>António Guterres, <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2022-10-06/statement-attri... he was</a> shocked and saddened by the mass shooting. </p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span><span><span><span><span>The threat of terrorism and organised crime is becoming increasingly entrenched across Africa, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime told the Security Council on Thursday, warning that illegal trafficking is depriving millions of a decent livelihood.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>The United Nations and partners on Thursday called for opening a “humanitarian corridor” in Haiti as armed gangs block access to the main fuel terminal amid ongoing economic crisis, insecurity, and a deadly cholera outbreak. </p>
The Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) welcome the holding of the 56th round of the GID in Geneva on 5 October 2022. As mandated by the Six-point Agreement of 12 August 2008 and the implementing measures of 8 September 2008, the GID process continues to serve as the only platform where the consequences of conflict are addressed and other important issues are discussed.
This round was the first to be held since December 2021. The channels of communication between the Co-Chairs and the respective participants remained operational during this period.
The Co-Chairs reiterated their appreciation of the participants’ commitment to the GID format.
Read here the latest UNSOM Quarterly Newsletter.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL KHALED KHIARI
REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
NON-PROLIFERATION/DPRK
New York, 5 October 2022
Mr. President, Members of the Security Council,
According to various government sources, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched a ballistic missile at approximately 7:23 a.m. local time on 4 October. The missile, which has not been publicly acknowledged by the DPRK, was reportedly launched from the northern province of Jagang, covered a range of 4,500 km, and reached an apogee of around 970 km. It marks the first time the DPRK has launched a ballistic missile over Japanese territory since 15 September 2017.
Mr. President, the Secretary-General strongly condemns the DPRK’s launch of a long-range ballistic missile. This was a reckless act and a clear violation of relevant Security Council resolutions. This launch risks triggering a significant escalation of tensions in the region and beyond. It is of serious concern that the DPRK has again disregarded any consideration for international flight or maritime safety.
The Secretary-General calls on the DPRK to immediately cease any further destabilising acts and to comply fully with its international obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions. The Secretary-General urges the DPRK to take steps to resume dialogue with a key parties concerned with a view to achieving sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Mr. President, there have been other troubling developments since we last briefed the Council on 11 May, in addition to the launch yesterday, the DPRK launched systems with the apparent characteristics of short-range ballistic missiles on 25 September, 28 September, 29 September, and 1 October.
On 12 September, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA - reported that there were indications that the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site remained active and prepared to support a nuclear test. The IAEA added that they continued to observe construction activities at the Yongbyon nuclear facilities as well as indications that the 5-megawatt nuclear reactor was operating.
The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the adoption on 8 September of the Law on the “DPRK’s Policy on the Nuclear Forces” by the Supreme People’s Assembly. Increasing the role and significance of nuclear weapons in security doctrines is contrary to decades of efforts by the international community to reduce and eliminate nuclear risks.
While some States continue to rely on nuclear weapons in their security policies, nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to humanity. Their continued existence heightens the risk of unintended escalation or miscalculation. We must strengthen our efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons.
Mr. President, the Secretary-General urges the DPRK to reset the course to dialogue and build on previous diplomatic efforts. He reaffirms his commitment to working with all parties for sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He welcomes and encourages the regular contact and cooperation among the key parties and commends them for their willingness to engage in dialogue with the DPRK without preconditions.
Mr. President, the Secretary-General, at the same time and separately, remains concerned over the humanitarian situation in the DPRK. The United Nations system, in coordination with international and humanitarian partners, is ready to send staff and assistance to help the DPRK Government address medical and humanitarian needs, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To allow for a timely and effective response, we reiterate our call for the unimpeded entry of international staff and humanitarian supplies. We also acknowledge the work of Member States toward resolving the banking channel for humanitarian operations.
Mr. President, let me close by reiterating that the unity of the Security Council in this matter is essential to ease tensions, overcome the diplomatic impasse and avoid a negative action-reaction cycle.
Thank you.
<p>The international community must step up efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons in the wake of the latest firing of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday.</p>
<p>The UN Secretary-General has <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2022-10-04/statement-attri... his deep sadness</a> over the death of three peacekeepers from Bangladesh who were killed on Monday in the Central African Republic (CAR), following a roadside bomb explosion near the border with Cameroon. Others were injured, and one remains in a critical condition.</p>
