The UN Secretary-General on Tuesday reiterated his appeal to Israel to stop any escalation in Gaza, amid reports that its forces have taken over key border crossings in Rafah.
The UN Secretary-General on Tuesday reiterated his appeal to Israel to stop any escalation in Gaza, amid reports that its forces have taken over key border crossings in Rafah.
The UN’s second Trailblazer award for Women Justice and Corrections Officers has gone to Major Ahlem Bouzi, an officer with the UN’s peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
The ongoing conflict between rival militaries in Sudan has stalled progress towards the determination of the final status of the disputed oil-rich Abyei region which straddles the Sudan-South Sudan border, the head of UN peacekeeping operations said on Tuesday.
Displacement after displacement. That describes the reality facing thousands of Palestinian families in Gaza who took Rashid Street from Rafah to the centre of the Gaza Strip after receiving evacuation orders from Israeli authorities on Monday to move to Al Mawasi, a coastal area of the besieged enclave.
Amid ongoing uncertainty about a ceasefire in Gaza, UN humanitarians have issued new data confirming the war’s deeply damaging impact on women and girls sheltering in Rafah.
UPDATED: Amid reports that 100,000 Palestinians have been told to leave Rafah ahead of an anticipated Israeli military operation there and that Hamas has accepted the latest Israeli ceasefire proposal, UN humanitarians on Monday insisted that they had no intention of quitting the vital aid hub.
UPDATED: Amid reports that 100,000 Palestinians have been told to leave Rafah ahead of an anticipated Israeli military operation there and that Hamas has accepted the latest Israeli ceasefire proposal, UN humanitarians on Monday insisted that they had no intention of quitting the vital aid hub.
UN mine action experts warned on Monday that even when current hostilities end, the risk remains lethally high for civilians in Gaza from unexploded weapons and contaminated rubble throughout the devastated enclave.
UN independent human rights experts on Monday issued a stark warning about the ongoing severe violations of women and girls’ rights in Haiti, highlighting the near total impunity of armed gangs amid the ongoing crisis there.
UPDATED: Amid reports that 100,000 Palestinians have been told to leave Rafah ahead of an anticipated Israeli military operation there and that Hamas has accepted the latest Israeli ceasefire proposal, UN humanitarians on Monday insisted that they had no intention of quitting the vital aid hub.
Donors must continue to support humanitarian efforts to assist millions in need in Yemen, UN agencies and dozens of other aid partners said on Monday.
The UN General Assembly on Monday debated Russia’s veto in the Security Council which blocked a draft resolution aimed at preventing a new extraterrestrial arms race.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A woman whose two children were kidnapped on the way to school in Haiti has said she feels a moral obligation to continue her work supporting displaced people despite the trauma the family has experienced
Internally displaced people account for at least 12 of those killed and a further 31 injured when their camps were shelled by M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, on Friday.
An Israeli military operation in Rafah “could lead to a slaughter” and cripple lifesaving humanitarian work throughout Gaza, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on Friday.
UN agencies issued a joint warning on Friday that time is running out to prevent starvation in Sudan’s Darfur region due to intensifying clashes around the northern capital of El Fasher, which are hindering efforts to deliver life-saving aid.
The relentless Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has set back Palestine’s overall socioeconomic development by more than 20 years, according to a new UN report released on Thursday.
More than 10,000 people are believed buried under the rubble in Gaza after nearly seven months of devastating conflict, UN humanitarians said on Thursday, citing the enclave’s health authorities.
The Palestinian journalists who have been covering the devastating war in Gaza were named winners of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on Thursday.
More than 10,000 people are believed buried under the rubble in Gaza after nearly seven months of devastating conflict, UN humanitarians said on Thursday, citing the enclave’s health authorities.
The relentless Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has set back Palestine’s overall socio-economic development by more than 20 years, according to a new UN report released on Thursday.
Amid growing international calls for restraint from Israel in Gaza and reports on Wednesday of further deadly strikes overnight, UN humanitarians underscored the ongoing devastating impact of the war and the need to ensure reliable aid supply lines to people in desperate need in the enclave.
Palestine’s recent attempt to become a full member of the United Nations was the focus of discussion in the General Assembly on Wednesday.
Madam President,
Members of the Security Council,
Excellencies,
In July last year, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs was also invited to brief the Security Council on developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since then, we have observed both positive and worrying developments.
We note the decision of the European Council in March this year to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the European Commission’s assessment of progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina on key legislative and judiciary reforms. There is consensus among the political leadership in Bosnia and Herzegovina that European integration is the best route for ensuring the country’s future stability and prosperity. The European project has become a unique chance for the continent to bridge divides and shape a stable and prosperous future despite ongoing challenges.
Based on a united commitment towards a stable and peaceful future, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Council of Ministers in late 2022 sought the support of the United Nations through the Peacebuilding Fund to contribute to strengthening social cohesion, respect for diversity, understanding and trust, especially among young women and men in different communities. Met with a positive response by the Secretary-General, initiatives supported by the Peacebuilding Fund have started being implemented, in close cooperation with authorities at all levels and communities across the country. These projects are focused on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security and the Youth, Peace and Security agendas, as well as community dialogue.
Madam President,
At the same time, in recent months, we have witnessed actions and statements contradictory to the positive developments outlined above.
The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, who has undertaken official visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region over the past years, has noted concerns about repeated threats of secessionism, the promotion of hate speech, the denial of genocide and the glorification of war criminals who were convicted by local and international courts. She recently issued statements on the dangers of these trends and their long-lasting impact on peace and reconciliation in the country. She has stressed the importance of addressing the legacy of the past, including of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Only by promoting the understanding of the past through truth-seeking and accountability, and addressing the root causes and the continued impact of such violence on society, can sustainable peace be achieved.
Madam President,
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice have established that acts of genocide against the Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina were committed in and around Srebrenica in July 1995.
The Secretary-General has consistently called on everyone in the region and beyond to counter hate speech and the rhetoric of division and narratives of mistrust and fear. He said, and I quote, “All communities, all leaders and all organizations — including the media — must make this pledge.”
Many people in Bosnia and Herzegovina have for decades undertaken remarkable work to promote trust and reconciliation in the country. Of course, it is primarily the responsibility of authorities and institutions, at all levels, to help the whole of society constructively deal with the past, to demonstrate respect for all victims and survivors, and to work towards a prosperous and peaceful future for all of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s citizens.
Madam President,
I should like to recall that the United Nations is not a signatory to the Dayton Peace Agreement nor a member of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council. The United Nations is committed to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in its path towards reconciliation, peacebuilding and sustainable development.
Thank you.
Ordinary Gazans remain in a “constant state of trauma” over an impending full-scale Israeli attack on the enclave’s southernmost city of Rafah amid a growing number of strikes there, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said on Tuesday.
With the situation in Gaza “worsening by the day”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday appealed for Israeli and Hamas leaders currently taking part in intense negotiations to reach a ceasefire agreement.
Both positive and “worrying” developments have recently unfolded in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a top UN official told the Security Council on Tuesday at an emergency meeting requested by Russia.
Children as young as four are being forced to go to work in Lebanon amid a “massive collapse” in humanitarian funding and escalating hostilities on the country’s southern border with Israel that threaten to spiral into a “full-scale war”, UN child experts said on Tuesday.
An increase in civilian casualties caused by intensifying attacks from the Russian armed forces against Ukraine’s electric power infrastructure and railway system calls for concern, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said on Monday.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, reached one of its now-abandoned schools in Khan Younis at the weekend, where thousands of people appeared to have left at a moment’s notice, fearing further intense Israeli bombardment.
The head of UN peacekeeping and demining reiterated calls on Monday for a ceasefire in Gaza as a first step to returning the war-ravaged enclave to some normality, while mine clearance experts warned that the Strip is now at its “most dangerous period”.
Rising violence is again restricting humanitarian aid delivery in the Darfur region of Sudan, the head of the World Food Programme said on Monday.
UN Security Council members on Saturday called on the warring parties in Sudan to immediately halt the military build-up and take steps to de-escalate the situation in El Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Madam President,
The destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022 highlighted the vulnerability of critical commercial and energy infrastructure in the current regional and global context.
The incident has sparked widespread speculations that risk further fueling the already heightened tensions and mistrust among Member States.
The Council has convened in total seven times to discuss the issue.
I recall that our briefings on this topic are based solely on information that is publicly available. The United Nations does not have any additional details of the events and is not in a position to verify or confirm claims or reports made regarding the incident. I will therefore use this opportunity to recap what has been stated so far.
Between 26 and 29 September 2022, four leaks were reported in the Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines. These pipelines are located in international waters, within the Swedish and Danish economic zones in the Baltic Sea.
The first leak was reported on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the morning of 26 September 2022. Later that day, the second and third leaks were reported on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The fourth leak was reported on 29 September on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
While the pipelines were not in operation at the time of the incidents, they reportedly contained several hundred million cubic meters of natural gas.
In February 2023, the United Nations Environment Programme estimated the plausible range of total methane emissions leaked during the incident to be between 75,000 and 230,000 metric tons.
The full extent of the environmental impacts of the incident, including on marine and local wildlife, is yet to be grasped.
After the leaks were reported, the Danish, German and Swedish authorities announced the launch of separate national investigations. The concerned authorities provided updates on their respective investigations, including in a joint letter to the President of the Security Council dated 10 July 2023 [S/2023/517].
The letter indicated that, according to the investigations, the leaks were caused by the use of explosives. The authorities also reported having informed the Russian Federation about the progress of the investigations.
In a letter dated 25 August 2023 from the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council [S/2023/627], the Russian Federation expressed concerns about these national investigations and called for "comprehensive and objective proceedings".
In February this year, the Danish and the Swedish authorities informed about the closure of their respective investigations in joint letters from the Permanent Representatives of Denmark, Germany and Sweden to the United Nations, addressed to the President of the Security Council dated 7 and 26 February 2024 [S/2024/149 and S/2024/189].
We look forward to hearing about the findings and conclusions of the ongoing German investigation in due time.
In a letter from the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, dated 1 March 2024, addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council [S/2024/230], the Russian Federation reiterated its concerns and that they see a need for an international commission to investigate the Nord Stream incidents further.
Madam President,
We reiterate that any intentional damage to critical civilian infrastructure is of serious concern, should be condemned and investigated.
In the current sensitive security context, we urge everyone to exercise restraint while we wait for the remaining investigation to conclude and for the information to be shared accordingly.
We strongly encourage Member States to continue cooperation and sharing of information to ensure the security of all international waters, including the Baltic Sea, which is critical for regional commerce, security, and stability.
Thank you.
