The deputy UN chief on Thursday emphasized the “vital importance” of peace and security in Africa, thanking ambassadors in the Security Council for helping the UN shine a spotlight on the issue, and how all Member States can work with the African Union and other regional and sub-regional groups, to make lives more secure across the continent.
Although the outcome of the latest meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee was “a disappointment”, members must continue their vital work, the UN Special Envoy for the country said in a briefing to the Security Council on Wednesday.
The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations told the Security Council on Wednesday that he was encouraged by a thaw in relations between South Sudan and Sudan, now that both have established national committees on the question of Abyei, the disputed oil-rich border territory claimed by both countries.
Mr President,
Mr President,
Mr. President,
Mr President,
Mr President,
Thank you for your attention.
Countries must unite and act urgently to secure stability in Afghanistan, and a better future for its people, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message on Wednesday to a regional conference of the country’s neighbours, organized by Iran.
Countries must unite and act urgently to secure stability in Afghanistan, and a better future for its people, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message on Wednesday to a regional conference of the country’s neighbours, organized by Iran.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday renewed his call for the immediate release of all those detained in the military coup in Sudan, as the Security Council meets behind closed doors in New York to discuss the crisis.
Haitians who were affected by the devastating earthquake which struck the southwest of the country in August have demonstrated their “heartwarming resilience” according to a staff member of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), who has been supporting recovery efforts.
Out now! Season 2 | Episode 12 | She Stands For Peace | Click here: https://unoau.unmissions.org/podcast-series-she-stands-peace
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres on Monday condemned the “ongoing military coup” in Sudan, saying Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and all other officials, “must be released immediately.” In a statement, he called for the "immediate reconstitution" of the Government, which is due to guide Sudan through to democratic elections.
UN, ECCAS and their partners mobilized against hate speech in Central Africa
Douala, 25 October 2021 - From 26 to 29 October 2021, Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon, will host a regional forum to raise awareness and build the capacity of media practitioners to prevent and combat hate speech in Central Africa. The event is organized by the United...
“Today, the Israeli authorities announced tenders for the construction of more than 1,300 housing units in the occupied West Bank.
I am deeply concerned by continued Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. I reiterate that all settlements are illegal under international law, remain a substantial obstacle to peace, and must cease immediately...
New York, 24 October 2021
Seventy-six years ago, the United Nations was created as a vehicle of hope for a world emerging from the shadow of catastrophic conflict.
Today, the women and men of the UN carry this hope forward around the globe.
COVID-19, conflicts, hunger, poverty and the climate emergency remind us that our world is...
A UN humanitarian aid flight destined for the capital of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia, was forced to return to Addis Ababa due to airstrikes on Friday, raising “serious concerns” for the safety of staff working on the ground, said the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, in a statement.
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Thank you, Foreign Minister Mangoush, for the initiative of convening this international conference. That it takes place in Libya’s capital is a testament to the progress that Libya has achieved. It is my pleasure to represent the Secretary-General at this meeting,
Excellencies,
The UN has actively worked towards facilitating the Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political, security and economic dialogues, with the support of the international community in the context of the Berlin process.
These dialogues must continue in order to sustain the momentum and ensure the full implementation of the Political Roadmap adopted by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF). We urge all Libyan parties to exert every effort to hold parliamentary and presidential elections on 24 December 2021, as called for by the Roadmap and UN Security Council Resolutions 2570 and 2571.
On the political front, dialogue is needed to promote unity and support for the electoral process among all political actors. There is a need for compromise on a way forward. We commend the Presidential Council for its efforts to promote such dialogue. We call on all Libyan parties and institutions to refrain from any action that could undermine the electoral process or acceptance of its results.
The holding of timely, free and fair elections is critical to break the cycle of perennial political transitions, to return to political legitimacy and to put an end to foreign interference. The Libyan people want elections, and they want them now.
I urge all Member States and regional organizations to consider sending observation teams, in coordination with relevant Libyan authorities and institutions, to help ensure the credibility of the electoral process and acceptability of the results.
I also urge Libya’s leaders and institutions to ensure meaningful participation of women in the process and to ensure that women occupy at least 30 per cent of the seats in the new legislature.
The United Nations will continue providing technical assistance for the holding of elections in accordance with its mandate.
Excellencies,
For a long time, Libya was governed by parallel institutions in the West and the East. Thanks to the work of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, reunification of the country’s institutions was started.
We must not allow the approach of elections to reignite divisions.
The UN will continue supporting all efforts aimed at consolidating the progress achieved to date, including a unified government and a reunified and functioning House of Representatives.
Together with the African Union, we are also committed to supporting the Libyan authorities, including the High National Reconciliation Commission, in advancing rights-based reconciliation.
Excellencies,
I commend the 5+5 Joint Military Commission for their unity of purpose on the security track, the JMC serves as an example for other national actors and institutions. Their Action Plan for the gradual, balanced, sequenced and synchronized withdrawal of all mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign forces is but the latest achievement of the 5+5.
The United Nations is ready to assist in consolidating international consensus to support the JMC in the implementation of the withdrawal plan.
Close coordination with Libya’s neighbours will be paramount to ensure that the plan is successful and that the withdrawal does not negatively impact the security situation in the region and the Sahel.
Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programmes and Security Sector Reform (SSR) will be needed to accompany this process. These efforts must be supported by the international community.
I am pleased to report that, in line with the request of the Libyan authorities and the mandate from the Security Council, the first group of UN monitors to support the Libyan-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism are arriving today. They will work in concert with the Libyan monitors assigned by the JMC.
Finally, the UN is extremely concerned with the dire situation of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers in Tripoli who remain in arbitrary detention or are living on the streets as a result of forced evictions and destruction of their homes by security forces in early October.
We welcome the Government’s announcement allowing the resumption of voluntary humanitarian evacuation and return flights from Libya for thousands of migrants and asylum seekers and call for the release from detention of the most vulnerable people and those with legal status.
We again offer our support to work with Libyan authorities to strengthen migration governance and border control in line with international law and obligations and in cooperation with international partners, notably the AU, LAS and EU.
Madame Minister,
Let me reassure you of the full commitment and continued support of the Secretary-General and the United Nations to Libya at this critical stage.
Thank you.
The process of drafting a new constitution for Syria has been “a big disappointment” UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen concluded on Friday. Following the end of discussions in Geneva, a consensus on how to move forward was not achieved, he added.
We can no longer exclude half of humanity from international peace and security matters, the UN chief told the Security Council on Thursday, emphasizing the need to fully address the challenges and gaps that continue to prevent women having an equal say.
Speaking at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Africa’s Great Lakes region on Wednesday, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Huang Xia, told ambassadors that the countries concerned now stand “at a crossroads”.
Four children – three boys and a girl - were killed on Monday morning while travelling to school in northwest Syria, along with a teacher, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday.
State security forces in South Sudan have been responsible for imposing new and potentially arbitrary restrictions against the country’s most prominent civil society leaders, issuing “credible” death threats that have undermined peace efforts, UN-appointed independent rights experts said on Wednesday.
The UN Country Team in Myanmar remains “deeply concerned over the humanitarian impact” of the country’s ongoing crises stemming largely from the military coup in February, the UN Spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Political stagnation is “fuelling tensions, instability and a deepening sense of hopelessness”, the top UN official working towards peace in the Middle East warned the Security Council on Tuesday.
Another “shameful milestone” has been reached in the conflict in Yemen with 10,000 children killed or maimed since fighting started in March 2015, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
Statement of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon on Women’s Representation in Politics
19 October 2021
The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Ms. Joanna Wronecka encourages the discussion in Parliament of a gender quota in the upcoming elections. Women’s representation in politics is critical for an...
The United Nations has received alarming reports of aerial attacks in the residential areas of Tigray’s capital, Mekelle, on Monday morning local time.
The announcement last week of a unilateral ceasefire in the Central African Republic is among recent positive steps in the country, the top UN official there told the Security Council on Monday, urging continued support for peace and reconciliation efforts.
As part of the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 2349 (2017), the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General for Central and for Africa for West Africa and the Sahel, François Louncény FALL and Mahamat Saleh ANNADIF, will undertake from 18 to 22 October 2021, a joint high-level mission to Cameroon and Chad.
This mission is the first leg on a tour of the Lake Chad Basin countries...
FIGHT AGAINST BOKO HARAM: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVES LOUNCENY FALL AND MAHAMAT ANNADIF BEGIN A JOINT HIGH-LEVEL VISIT TO CAMEROON AND CHAD
Dakar - Libreville, 18 October 2021 - As part of the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 2349 (2017), the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General...
The process of drafting a new constitution for Syria will begin this week, the UN Special Envoy for the country, Geir Pedersen, said on Sunday at a press conference in Geneva.
New York, 17 October 2021
Poverty is a moral indictment of our times.
For the first time in two decades, extreme poverty is on the rise.
Last year, around 120 million people fell into poverty as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on economies and societies.
A lopsided recovery is further deepening inequalities...
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the declaration of a unilateral ceasefire in the Central African Republic (CAR), his spokesperson said in a statement issued on Saturday.
