The first humanitarian convoy into Gaza following two weeks of conflict crossed the border from Egypt on Saturday morning.
The first humanitarian convoy into Gaza following two weeks of conflict crossed the border from Egypt on Saturday morning.
The aid that entered Gaza on Saturday "is only a small beginning and far from enough", five UN agencies said in a joint statement. They called for a humanitarian ceasefire and safe access to civilians in efforts to save lives and prevent more suffering.
The protection of civilians must be upheld at all times, the head of the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said on Saturday, appealing for an end to attacks on places such as schools, hospitals and the homes of his staff.
UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator Martin Griffiths welcomed the entry of an aid convoy into Gaza on Saturday, the first since the start of hostilities two weeks ago following deadly attacks by Hamas against Israel.
UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator Martin Griffiths welcomed the entry of an aid convoy into Gaza on Saturday, the first since the start of hostilities two weeks ago following deadly attacks by Hamas against Israel.
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Remarks by Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari at the Security Council High-Level Debate on
“Peace through Dialogue: the Contribution of Regional, Subregional and Bilateral Arrangements to the
Prevention and Peaceful Resolution of disputes”
New York, 20 October 2023
Mr. President,
I would like to express my gratitude to Brazil for hosting this important open debate.
Today the stakes for preventive diplomacy and dialogue could not be higher.
The dangerous and escalating situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory is a bitter reminder of the urgent need for an end to the horrific violence, an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and a pathway to negotiations towards a just, lasting and comprehensive political solution. Absent a negotiated two-state solution, this vicious cycle of violence risks plunging the entire region into conflict for years and generations to come.
Excellencies,
The world has entered a new era. The post-Cold War period is over anda transition is underway to a new global order.
As history teaches us, transition periods come with heightened risks.
This new era is already marked by deepening divisions and retrenchment. Geopolitical tensions are at their highest in decades.
Contestation and competion among States is increasingly testing the boundaries set in the United Nations Charter.
The ensuing loss of trust – and the risks of escalation – affect almost all regions.
At the same time, many States are skeptical, and have been for some time, of how the multilateral system is working for them.
They have profound grievances regarding unmet commitments and double standards. Women and men everywhere also have a deep sense that Governments and international organizations are failing to deliver for them.
With increasing geopolitical strife and challenges to international norms, negotiated settlements of conflicts have been harder to achieve. Pursuit of military solutions has sadly been a prominent feature of recent conflicts for which the civilians are paying a heavy toll.
The deterioration of global and regional arms control frameworks and crisis management protocols which had helped stabilize great power rivalities has increased the possibility of dangerous standoffs, miscalculations and escalation.
In some regions, polarized global politics are mirrored in the unravelling of integration efforts that had previously contributed to regional stability for decades.
Against this backdrop, the Secretary-General’s policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace outlines how Member States can take action to re-engage, de-escalate, recommit to diplomacy for peace, and rebuild trust.
Mr. President,
The driving force for a more effective collective security system must be diplomacy.
Diplomacy requires risk-taking, persistence and creativity.
Diplomatic engagement is important among countries that think alike. But it is crucial between those that disagree.
Diplomacy demands, above all else, a commitment to the pacific settlement of disputes.
Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter prescribes that all States shall rely on peaceful means as their first option to resolve disputes. It offers a range of options to address our differences within the framework of this Council, within our respective regions, or bilaterally.
Adherence to the principles set out in the United Nations Charter remains an essential precondition.
It is our collective obligation under international law to prevent and resolve armed conflict.
Regional organizations and frameworks have a critical role to play in this regard.
They can bring credibility and legitimacy for preventive diplomacy. They can help increase trust and reduce misperceptions. And, they can enhance mechanisms for crisis management.
In the face of growing competition at the global level and increasingly transnational threats, regional frameworks and organizations can offer avenues for trust-building and détente.
Regional actions have successfully prevented conflicts and escalation throughout recent history.
Not all lessons are transferrable from one region to another, but their essence is important:
How to initiate dialogue to overcome differences – and seek assistance of a trusted intermediary when needed, sometimes from within the region and sometimes from outside.
How to ensure that channels of communication remain open even when the disputes escalate into violence.
How to take account of the fears and concerns of one’s rival and actively work to reduce these by building frameworks that enhance trust.
Strengthening, building or re-building regional frameworks and organizations is particularly important in regions where long-standing security architectures are collapsing or mired in stalemate – or where they have never existed.
We also need strong partnerships between the United Nations and regional organizations.
Mr. President,
As A New Agenda for Peace recognizes, the Member States of the United Nations have the responsibility – and the means – to meet the shared obligations entrusted to them by the United Nations Charter.
The good offices of the Secretary-General, and his envoys, remains at your disposal – not only as a tool to prevent and mediate conflict, but as an impartial vehicle to bring Member States together to seek mutually acceptable solutions. Good offices can help manage and reverse the deterioration of global and regional relations.
It is also the responsibility of the United Nations Secretariat to put forth proposals that can help enhance trust and increase space for cooperation.
A shared understanding of challenges is an essential prerequisite to agreeing on potential solutions.
That is why A New Agenda for Peace aimed to provide a unifying analysis of the current geopolitical moment as the basis for joint problem-solving.
It is our duty to seize every moment to forge a common understanding of the threats and challenges before us.
The impartiality of the Secretariat is vital. An impartial Secretariat can help forge common ground between States or conflict parties, even in the most complex of circumstances, and assist decision-making in Security Council with analysis that takes into account divergent perspectives around this table.
In this increasingly divided world we need at least one institution in which all can trust.
Mr. President,
We cannot afford to leave any stone unturned in search of avenues for de-escalation and trust-building.
For this to work, we need courage to listen to the views of others and consider them in good faith. Regional frameworks and institutions play a key bridge-building conduit in this regard.
I commend them and all those that expend tireless efforts every day in pursuit of building bridges across divides.
At a time of heightened tensions, it is our shared responsibility to do everything in our power to maintain the system of collective security that our predecessors built.
Thank you, President.
UN humanitarians said on Friday that an agreement to unlock aid deliveries across the Gaza border was near, as UN chief António Guterres delivered a powerful call in front of the gates at the Rafah crossing to get lifesaving aid moving.
Hundreds of trucks are waiting for a green light at the Rafah border in Egypt, poised to deliver lifesaving aid to 2.3 million besieged people in the Gaza Strip. What's inside the convoy?
As the possible transition to a new global order heightens security risks, more effective multilateral diplomacy is a vital tool to maintain peace, the Security Council heard on Friday.
Insecurity persists in Somalia, with extremist group Al-Shabaab and fighting in the Laascaanood region taking a heavy toll on civilians, the UN envoy for the country told the Security Council on Thursday.
UN independent human rights experts on Thursday voiced deep concern over the fate of civilians and victims of terrorism caught up in the Israel-Gaza crisis.
Conflict is raging, threatening to spill over multiple borders and the world’s only body charged with maintaining international peace and security can’t agree on a solution. Now what?
Humanitarians continued to stand ready on Thursday to deliver lifesaving aid to Gaza following reports of an agreement brokered by the United States for 20 aid trucks to enter the enclave from Egypt.
With essential supplies running out in Gaza, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday appealed for humanitarian access to the besieged enclave.
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, concluded a visit to Riyadh today where he met senior Yemeni, regional, and international officials and diplomats. Discussions focused on next steps to facilitate an agreement on measures to improve living conditions in Yemen, a nationwide ceasefire, and an inclusive intra-Yemeni political process under UN auspices.
Grundberg met with the President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council,...
UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland on Wednesday highlighted the need for an inquiry into the strike against a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds, including patients, staff and displaced people seeking shelter.
UN chief António Guterres called on Wednesday for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East to ease the “epic human suffering” in the Israel-Gaza conflict. The head of the UN health agency (WHO) said he welcomed the reported agreement between the US and Israel, which would allow food, water and medical aid into the battered enclave via the Egyptian border.
The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver lifesaving aid to millions in Gaza. The failure by the Council to make its first public intervention on the Israel-Gaza crisis followed the rejection of a Russian-backed draft on Monday evening.
UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland on Wednesday highlighted the need for an inquiry into the strike against a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds, including patients, staff and displaced people seeking shelter.
UN chief António Guterres called on Wednesday for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East to ease the “epic human suffering” in the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver lifesaving aid to millions in Gaza. The failure by the Council to make its first public intervention on the Israel-Gaza crisis followed the rejection of a Russian-backed draft on Monday evening.
The UN Secretary-General said he was horrified by the killing of hundreds of civilians following a strike on a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday. In a tweet, António Guterres strongly condemned the strike, adding that his heart is with the families of those who died.
The head of the UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini, has reported that at least six people were killed on Monday afternoon local time, when an UNRWA school being used as a shelter, was hit in the al-Maghazi camp in the middle region of the embattled Gaza Strip.
In crises like the latest massive uptick in violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and talk of all-out war, the UN has a sensitive role to play – on both the political and humanitarian fronts.
The UN Security Council’s first intervention in the Gaza crisis – a Russian-led draft resolution calling for humanitarian ceasefire – was voted down on Monday. Despite this setback, diplomatic efforts are in full swing as ambassadors prepare to consider another text on the unprecedented crisis.
The UN Secretary-General said he was horrified by the killing of hundreds of civilians following a strike on a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday. In a tweet, António Guterres strongly condemned the strike, adding that his heart is with the families of those who died.
The UN Special Envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes region, appealed to the international community on Tuesday for increased support in resolving the escalating hostilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the mounting tension in the wider Great Lakes region.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) issued a fresh alert on Tuesday for civilians left in northern Gaza, amid ongoing military operations in the enclave ahead of an anticipated full-scale Israeli response to Hamas’s 7 October attack.
New York, 16 October 2023
World Food Day 2023 comes during a global food crisis, with the world moving backwards on ending hunger and malnutrition.
Some 780 million people around the world are going hungry; almost fifty million children are at risk of death from severe wasting. Yet funding for this year’s global humanitarian appeal stands at just 32...
Every effort continues to be made by the United Nations and partners to get aid supplies into Gaza following the Israeli order to evacuate the north of the enclave, the UN’s emergency relief chief said on Monday.
Humanitarians delivering aid in the wake of Libya’s “unprecedented” flood disaster centred on the coastal city of Derna, have reached more than 146,000 in need, said the head of the UN support mission there (UNSMIL) on Monday.
Less than a kilometre from Gaza, pallets of food, fuel, water, and medicine are among the hundreds of tonnes of lifesaving aid packed into a long convoy of trucks idling on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, as drivers await Israel’s green light so they can reach 2.3 million besieged Palestinians caught in the crossfire of the ongoing war.
Every effort continues to be made by the United Nations and partners to get aid supplies into Gaza following the Israeli order to evacuate the north of the enclave, the UN’s emergency relief chief said on Monday.
The UN Security Council on Monday night in New York failed to adopt a resolution proposed by Russia that would have called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, which has been ravaged by almost 10 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants.
Six months of war have plunged Sudan into one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Sunday, calling on the parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.
The UN Secretary-General on Sunday appealed to Hamas to immediately release all hostages and to Israel to grant “unimpeded access for humanitarian aid” into the Gaza Strip.
The UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) issued an urgent call on Saturday for Israeli Authorities to protect all civilians sheltering in Gaza.
The UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) issued an urgent call on Saturday for Israeli Authorities to protect all civilians sheltering in Gaza.
The UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) issued an urgent call on Saturday for Israeli Authorities to protect all civilians sheltering in Gaza.
