The United Nations-African Union partnership stands out as a “pillar of multilateralism”, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Thursday, one which has continued to grow in scope and depth.
The world must act on “unacceptable failures” to protect persons with disabilities from the damaging impact of living through a natural disaster, the UN office dealing with disaster risk said on Thursday.
Gaza is on the brink of running out of food, water, electricity and critical supplies, UN humanitarians warned on Thursday.
The death toll in Israel from attacks by Palestinian armed groups, and in Gaza due to Israeli bombardments, has continued to rise, with mass displacement soaring across the enclave, the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office, OCHA, said on Wednesday.
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has wrapped up a three-day visit to Iceland, where she stressed the UN’s dual objective for peace – for the world and with nature – and noted the country’s role enhancing global cooperation on peace as well as climate action.
As Colombia prepares to mark the seventh anniversary of the peace agreement that ended the decades-long conflict there, the Government has increased its efforts to realize the accord’s goals, the UN envoy for the country said on Wednesday.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday voiced grave concern over the escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza and stressed the need to prevent the violence from spreading into the wider region.
MOSCOW, Russian Federation
On 10 October 2023, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Head of UNRCCA Kaha Imnadze, during his working visit to Moscow, the Russian Federation, held meetings with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, namely with Deputy Minister Sergey Vershinin, Deputy Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Minister...
Following reports of continued fighting between government troops and local militias in Ethiopia, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide is sounding the alarm about the heightened risk of genocide and related atrocity crimes in the Tigray, Amhara, Afar and Oromi regions.
The top UN humanitarian official on Tuesday called for an end to the escalating violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, warning that “the whole region is at a tipping point.”
The United Nations has been working in the Middle East region around the clock to de-escalate the Israeli-Palestinian crisis by engaging key actors and providing emergency assistance to civilians on the ground.
The Government of Iraq has made “several important steps and promising initiatives” one year since its formation, but more efforts are required to address the populations needs, the Head of the UN Mission in the country, UNAMI, told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Despite closed borders and the escalating Israel-Palestine crisis, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) was rapidly expanding its new emergency operation to provide critical aid to over 800,000 people facing dire circumstances and lacking access to essential supplies.
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL ROSEMARY A. DICARLO’S
REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
UKRAINE
New York, 9 OCTOBER 2023
Mr. President,
On Thursday, 5 October, the small village of Hroza in the Kupiansk district of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region suffered one of the deadliest attacks on civilians since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of last year.
At least 52 people were reportedly killed when a missile hit a shop and café. Several others were injured. The attack wiped out a sixth of Hroza’s population. No family in this small community was left untouched.
Among the victims were mourners gathered at a memorial service for a local man killed during Russia’s occupation of the area.
UN human rights experts on the ground have been able to collect the names of 35 people who were killed – 19 women, 15 men, and an 8-year-old boy. The accounts they received indicated that the location where the attack occurred was of civilian character.
I reiterate the Secretary-General’s strong condemnation of this heinous attack.
Shockingly, less than 24 hours later, civilians in the Kharkiv region were hit again. This time, missiles struck buildings in the centre of the city of Kharkiv – Ukraine’s second largest city - reportedly killing a 10-year-old boy and his 67-year-old grandmother.
Thirty people were reportedly wounded, including an 11-month-old infant. These attacks took place in an area surrounded by restaurants, apartment buildings and other civilian infrastructure.
The recent attacks in Kharkiv add to an already unbearable toll of civilian casualties resulting from Russia’s invasion – a war launched in violation of the UN Charter and international law.
As of 5 October, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified that 9,806 civilians, including 560 children, have been killed as a result of the war.
The number of civilians OHCHR has verified as injured stands at 17,962, including 1,196 children. The actual figures are very likely considerably higher and, tragically, will continue to rise if current patterns continue.
Indeed, in recent weeks, civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine have remained under nearly constant fire. Residents of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Lviv, Sumy, Donetsk, Odesa, Kyiv and other regions continued to face unrelenting and often indiscriminate attacks.
On Friday, a Russian drone attack damaged a grain silo in the Izmail district of the Odesa region. This was the latest in a series of strikes on Ukrainian grain infrastructure.
Combined with Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Initiative, such attacks not only destroy the livelihoods of Ukrainian farmers, but also risk impacting the lives of millions of food insecure people around the world.
We are also concerned about the renewed attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent weeks. The Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator will provide more details about the UN response to the affected population.
The immediate impact of such attacks is clear. Just as clear is the fact that international humanitarian law obligates parties to armed conflict to protect non-combatants.
It unambiguously prohibits attacks targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure. We will not tire of condemning such attacks. And we will not waver in calling for accountability for anyone responsible for harming civilians during hostilities.
Mr. President,
OHCHR’s latest report on the situation in Ukraine paints a grim picture of serious human rights violations across the country, most of them attributed to the Russian armed forces.
These include acts of conflict-related sexual violence reportedly committed by members of the Russian armed forces and Russian penitentiary services.
The report, covering the period between 1 February and 31 July 2023, indicates that those cases are consistent with previously documented patterns of sexual violence by Russian forces and services.
OHCHR reports that arbitrary detention and incommunicado detention of civilians continued in Russian-occupied territory. It documented that 996 civilians were subjected to arbitrary detention since February 2022.
Eighty of them died in detention or were found dead with signs of violence on their bodies, and 468 remain in arbitrary or incommunicado detention.
OHCHR also documented cases of arbitrary detention by Ukrainian forces, mainly of law enforcement authorities, that took place during the reporting period.
OHCHR interviewed 26 Russian PoWs (all men). Twelve of them said they were subjected to torture or ill-treatment during interrogation at unofficial places of internment and evacuation before they were brought to official internment locations.
OHCHR is also concerned over recent legislation in the Russian Federation that would effectively grant amnesty to Russian servicepersons for an overly broad range of crimes, potentially including gross violations of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Under international law, the Russian Federation has an obligation to investigate and prosecute potential war crimes and gross human rights violations committed by its forces in Ukraine.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, in its latest update, also found continued systematic and widespread use of torture and reiterated its deep concern at the scale and gravity of violations that have been committed in Ukraine by Russian armed forces.
The Commission emphasized the need for accountability.
Mr. President,
From the beginning of this senseless war, we have warned about the grave risks it poses to Ukraine, the region and the world.
In recent weeks, the impact of the war has expanded in the Black Sea, with reports of the wide-spread use of sea mines that could threaten civilian navigation.
A military incident in the Black Sea, whether intentional or by accident, could further destabilize the region.
We, therefore, reiterate our call for restraint in order to avoid any action that could worsen the already volatile situation.
Mr. President,
In his remarks to the Security Council last month, the Secretary-General not only recounted the suffering that the war has inflicted on the people of Ukraine, but also once again sounded the alarm about how the invasion is aggravating geopolitical tensions and divisions and threatening regional stability.
As predictable, and predicted, this conflict is doing visible, serious damage to global peace and security.
Before 24 February 2022, the world was already facing an extremely challenging “conflict landscape”, to use a clinical euphemism.
But since then, the risks have grown exponentially, and the cost is measured in lives and destruction. In Ukraine most of all, but also beyond.
Is the damage irreversible? We have no choice but to continue to try to stop the slide towards more devastation and suffering.
During this year’s General Assembly, we heard a clear recommitment, across the UN membership, to the principles of the Charter, including respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all Member States.
A just solution to the war lies in adhering to that basic obligation, with deeds, not just with words.
We know the dangers of abandoning our founding principles and disregarding the norms that bind us. It is not too late to restore the integrity of our Charter and international law. We fail to do so at the world’s peril.
Thank you.
The UN Secretary-General on Monday said that he recognized the legitimate grievances of the Palestinian people and the legitimate security concerns of Israel, but underlined his rejection of terrorist acts and upheld the need to protect civilians.
The escalating conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, the UN reported on Monday.
Senior UN officials on Monday strongly condemned recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian towns and civilian infrastructure, emphasizing the need for accountability for those harming civilians during hostilities.
Senior UN officials on Monday strongly condemned recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian towns and civilian infrastructure, emphasizing the need for accountability for those harming civilians during hostilities.
The UN Secretary-General on Monday said that he recognized the legitimate grievances of the Palestinian people and the legitimate security concerns of Israel, but underlined his rejection of terrorist acts and upheld the need to protect civilians.
Millions of Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022, and now the authorities in Ukraine with the support of the United Nations are planning ahead for their eventual return.
Top UN officials engaged key actors amid the spiraling Israeli-Palestinian conflict while UN peacekeepers detected rocket and artillery fire exchanged across the Israel-Lebanon border ahead of Sunday’s Security Council emergency closed-door meeting on the unfolding crisis.
UN officials were “in close contact with all concerned to urge maximum restraint” following “horrific scenes of violence” that left dozens dead and hundreds wounded in Israeli cities near the Gaza Strip amid rocket attacks by armed Palestinian militants early Saturday morning, with the UN Security Council announcing it would hold a Sunday afternoon private meeting to discuss the matter.
“I vehemently condemn this morning’s multi-front assault against Israeli towns and cities near the Gaza Strip, and barrage of rockets reaching across central Israel by Hamas militants.
These events have resulted in horrific scenes of violence and many Israeli fatalities and injuries, with many believed to be kidnapped inside the Strip. These are...
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“I condemn today’s attack by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the town of Huwwara in occupied West Bank.
I'm outraged by the continued incitement, provocations, and lack of accountability for these violent crimes.
One Palestinian was shot dead during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli settlers and...
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL ROSEMARY DICARLO’S REMARKS
AT THE COMMEMORATIVE EVENT ON
“DIPLOMACY FOR PEACE: 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPECIAL POLITICAL MISSIONS”
New York, 5 October 2023
Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to welcome you today to commemorate the 75th anniversary of special political missions.
UN civilian missions with political functions have been at the heart of the Organization's work since its early days. They have steadfastly served the cause of peace.
The first special political mission was established on 14 May 1948, when the General Assembly mandated a UN Mediator in Palestine. A week later, Swedish diplomat Folke Bernadotte was appointed to the role.
Over the following two decades, the UN set up numerous special political missions. Several played a pivotal role in decolonisation and the birth of proud and independent states in Africa and Asia.
From the late 1960s until the late 1980s, however, special political missions were deployed less frequently. Lack of trust between the two dominant geopolitical blocs hampered decision-making in the Security Council and the General Assembly. One of the few missions created in this period was that of the Special Representative to the Middle East.
Following the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s and the 1990s, the demand for special political missions increased again.
New operations were deployed to support peace and reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan, Guatemala, Haiti, Nepal, Nicaragua and Somalia, among others.
Today, there are over 40 special political missions (SPMs) around the globe.
SPMs:
Special political missions have varied mandates tailored to each context. Since 1948, they have taken on new roles and tasks, adjusting to an ever-evolving peace and security environment.
In recent years, special political missions have had to understand and adapt to new risks, including the effects of the climate crisis and advancing technology.
In a shifting peace and security context, they also work to identify new entry points, opportunities and partnerships for peacemaking and peacebuilding.
Our three panellists today – my colleagues Hanna, Carlos and Hans – will tell us what this means for the missions they lead.
Colleagues,
Over 75 years we have learned much – from our successes but also from our missteps.
We are also painfully aware that we are undergoing a most difficult period in global relations. Our experience and a sober assessment of the moment we are living helped inform the Secretary-General’s policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace, which makes the case for boosting diplomatic engagement.
Special political missions will play an essential role in making this vision a reality.
Diplomacy and the work of good offices require risk-taking, persistence and creativity. They require mechanisms to keep channels open, quietly defuse tensions, build trust, and bring opponents together. They require talking to those with whom one disagrees.
As we commemorate 75 years of special political missions, I pay tribute to the memory of Folke Bernadotte, who was assassinated in the pursuit of peace in September 1948.
I also join the Chef de Cabinet in honouring the thousands of dedicated UN personnel who serve, or have served, in our missions, often in dangerous environments and away from their loved ones.
Let me conclude by thanking Finland and Mexico, the co-facilitators of the General Assembly resolution on special political missions, for their steadfast engagement to bring visibility to the critical role these missions play.
And thank you, Member States for your support. Without it, our work would not be possible.
Thank you.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen on Thursday appealed for restraint following a deadly drone attack on a military graduation ceremony in Homs, and amid rising violence in the war-ravaged country.
The top UN humanitarian official in Ukraine has condemned a Russian strike on Thursday that ripped apart the small rural village of Hroza in the Kharkiv region, killing dozens of civilians.
As heavy fighting continues in Sudan, the UN’s top aid official in the country warned on Thursday that the conflict has created “the world’s fastest-growing displacement crisis” which threatens to outstrip the Organization’s best efforts to help those most in need.
