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Mr President,
Two weeks ago, the Secretary-General joined this Council in marking two years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law.
On this grim milestone, we heard a loud and clear message from the broad membership of the Organization - the escalatory trajectory of this war and its enormous human cost are unsustainable and dangerous, particularly for Ukrainian civilians.
In this Council and at the General Assembly, we heard numerous urgent calls for de-escalation, peace and respect for the principles of the UN Charter.
However, the past two weeks have instead witnessed an intensification of attacks on civilians across different regions of Ukraine. Strikes have also been reported inside the Russian Federation, including today in the Belgorod region, reportedly leading to casualties.
Regrettably, our repeated calls for protection of civilians appear to fall on deaf ears.
Mr. President,
The Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa has become a frequent target of missile and drone attacks in recent days and weeks, with deadly consequences.
Two days ago, a Russian missile strike hit Odesa, reportedly killing five people and wounding several.. Further drone attacks were reported last night.
On Saturday, 2 March, 12 people were reportedly killed in a drone attack on an apartment block. Five of those killed were children, majority under the age of three, making it the deadliest incident for children in more than nine months.
This heartbreaking incident followed two consecutive nights of drone attacks on 22 and 23 February that claimed the lives of four people.
Since February 2022, Odesa – an important hub for Ukrainian agricultural exports - has also suffered repeated strikes on its infrastructure. The cultural heritage sites of the city have not been spared.
Odesa is far from being the only Ukrainian city under constant fire.
In recent days, civilian casualties have been reported in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine.
Last night, two people were reportedly killed as a result of a missile attack on the city of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region.
Yesterday afternoon, a reported Russian missile strike on the city of Sumy injured one civilian, damaged the central city hospital and the region’s emergency medical centre.
These are only a few of the recent incidents.
We are particularly concerned by the reports that the fighting is spreading to new residential areas in the east of Ukraine.
Throughout this war, fighting that came to Ukrainian villages, towns and cities led to complete or near complete destruction at the hands of Russian forces. This has been witnessed in Mariupol, Bakhmut, Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, Volnovakha and most recently in Avdiivka. This horrific pattern must not be perpetuated.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has already resulted in the death of 10,703 civilians, including 594 children. 20,146 more, including 1,316 children, have been injured.
We condemn all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure - they are prohibited under international law.
They are unacceptable and must stop now.
Mr. President,
The Secretary-General has emphasized in his recent remarks to this Council that territorial integrity and political independence of states are fundamental principles of the UN Charter. They are at the heart of our multilateral order.
Therefore, the reports of the Russian Federation’s plans to organize and hold its March presidential elections in the territories of Ukraine currently under its control are deeply disturbing.
The attempted illegal annexations of Ukrainian territory have no validity under international law, as also declared by the UN General Assembly.
The United Nations remains fully committed to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders.
Mr. President,
Today is International Women’s Day.
I wish to pay tribute to the courageous Ukrainian women and girls who, despite the unspeakable horrors they have endured, continue to work to support their communities and to build a better future for their country.
Yet, economic turmoil caused by the war is disproportionately affecting Ukrainian women’s livelihood. Their wellbeing is at risk due to restricted access to essential services. They face heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence.
We continue to work to ensure that the needs of women and girls are addressed in our efforts to mitigate the impacts of the war. We are also committed to partnering with Ukrainian women leaders and Women, Peace and Security champions to promote women’s full and equal participation in decision-making, recovery and peace efforts.
Mr. President,
The past two years of war have come with a heavy price for Ukraine, Europe and the world.
We must not allow for this war to bring further loss of life, destruction and suffering.
In the Secretary-General’s words: “It is high time for peace – a just peace, based on the United Nations Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions.”
The United Nations remains ready to support all meaningful efforts to this end.
Thank you.
Today, we celebrate the International Women’s Day under the theme: “Invest in women: Accelerate Progress.” Sadly, the Great Lakes Region is presently confronted with a worrying surge in tension and violence affecting the lives of women and girls particularly in the Eastern DRC..
Any assault by Israeli forces on the densely populated city of Rafah where 1.5 million have sought shelter following mass displacement, will hugely increase the risk of atrocity crimes, the UN High Commissioner for Human rights warned on Friday.
A recent sharp rise in deadly attacks against civilians in Ukraine and Russia, including by armed drones, run counter to international law and must end now, top UN officials told the Security Council on Friday afternoon.
The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a key resolution on Sudan, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the war-torn country during the month of Ramadan, which begins on Sunday.
An international maritime aid corridor to Gaza could be in operation as early as Sunday, according to the head of the European Commission, working closely with the UN’s Senior Humanitarian Coordinator and other international partners.
Life is rapidly being choked out of northern Gaza. After enduring nearly five months of bombing, starvation, illness, pain and suffering, many of the last survivors have finally had enough, according to some of the displaced who have been speaking to UN News.
The plan by Israel’s Government to build more than 3,400 housing units in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank was condemned on Thursday by the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
The UN Secretary-General on Thursday called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and unhindered humanitarian access as the country teeters on the brink of further disintegration.
Days from the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan and with no ceasefire agreement in sight for Gaza, UN humanitarians reiterated deep concerns on Thursday that a growing number of children are dying of starvation.
New York, 8 March 2024
The fight for women’s rights over the past fifty years is a story of progress.
Women and girls have demolished barriers, dismantled stereotypes and driven progress towards a more just and equal world. Women’s rights were finally recognised as fundamental and universal human rights. Hundreds of millions more girls are in classrooms around the...
Dear friends, colleagues and partners,
Let me heartily congratulate you on the forthcoming International Women's Day.
On this date, the 8th of March, we particularly mark women’s achievements in almost all spheres of our societies – political, economic, social and cultural. It is also a day that serves as a call to action...
Amid a mass prison breakout, expanding gang violence and rising hunger, the UN human rights chief on Wednesday urged the international community to act “swiftly and decisively to prevent the Caribbean country’s further descent into chaos”.
The UN envoy for Afghanistan on Wednesday repeated her call for the Taliban to reverse its numerous restrictions on the lives of women and girls in violation of their human rights, warning that the longer they remain in place, the more damage will be done.
Much more lifesaving humanitarian aid must be allowed into Gaza where one in six children is dangerously malnourished in the north of the war-torn enclave, UN health agency chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.
Nearly 11 months since rival generals declared war in Sudan, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday that the conflict risks triggering “the world’s worst hunger crisis”.
With only nine months remaining before the polls in December, South Sudan is not ready to hold elections and a lot more needs to be done, the head of UN peace operations said on Tuesday.
The UN Secretary-General reiterated his deep concern on Tuesday over the “rapidly deteriorating” security situation in Haiti as violent gangs tighten their grip on the country in the wake of a jailbreak at the weekend which saw nearly 4,000 criminals return to the streets.
A rare opportunity to deliver desperately needed supplies to hospitals in northern Gaza for the first time in months has been welcomed by UN humanitarians who on Tuesday issued a fresh alert about “appalling” conditions in medical facilities where more children risk are battling life-threatening malnutrition.
Efforts by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to deliver desperately needed food supplies to northern Gaza resumed on Tuesday but were largely unsuccessful, the agency reported.
An independent UN housing rights expert condemned on Tuesday the arbitrary destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure during conflicts, comparing the ongoing bombardment of Gaza with strikes against Dresden during the Second World War.
Dozens of elections taking place this year around the world will likely be “free from hatred” and respect the will of the people, but there are warning signs that several polls may not - from Bangladesh to Chad, Hungary, Russia and Senegal, UN rights chief Volker Türk warned on Monday.
The General Assembly met this morning to examine the US veto of the latest Security Council draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in war-torn Gaza, where a grim, forewarned landscape of famine has seen babies and children die of starvation in recent days. The President of the General Assembly described the situation as catastrophic and shameful as dozens of ambassadors also denounced humanitarian conditions there. We'll be back with more from the General Assembly at 3:00PM New York time, when the UN Palestine relief agency chief will brief Member States. Follow our live coverage here and at @UN_News_Centre.
Negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza continued in Egypt for a second day on Monday as the UN’s top rights official warned that the war there risked morphing into a much “wider conflagration” enveloping every country in the Middle East and beyond.
The Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Ghada Waly has highlighted the threats of transnational organized crime, terrorism and corruption that is plaguing Somalia.
Following a 17-day visit to Israel, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict reported on Monday that she and a team of experts had found “clear and convincing information” of rape and sexualized torture being committed against hostages seized during the 7 October terror attacks.
Ambassadors in the UN General Assembly again discussed on Monday the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and the critical work of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, which is facing an existential threat, hearing a briefing by its Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, and holding a heated debate on the US veto of the latest Security Council draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in the war-torn enclave.
The UN Security Council has underscored the need to protect civilians in Gaza after more than 100 Palestinians were killed on Thursday, and several hundred others injured, while waiting for food at an aid convoy.
The Gaza conflict “is also a war on women”, who continue to suffer its devastating impacts, the UN agency championing gender equality has said.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed on Friday for greater support for an international mission to help Haiti combat rampant gang violence in remarks to regional leaders meeting in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has voiced deep concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis in the restive Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique following a recent surge in violence and attacks by armed groups.
February saw more extreme heat and unusually high temperatures in both hemispheres, the UN weather agency (WMO) said on Friday.
