The UN Security Council is meeting at UN Headquarters in New York for what was a scheduled quarterly open debate on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, now given greater urgency by the Hamas attacks of 7 October and the deepening humanitarian crisis as the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip continues. The UN chief said the situation "is growing more dire by the hour", repeating his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Follow lives updates here:
On day 17 of the Gaza-Israel crisis, UN humanitarians on Tuesday pleaded for desperately needed fuel deliveries and other relief items to prevent the already dire situation in the enclave from worsening further.
The UN Security Council met on Tuesday at UN Headquarters in New York for a scheduled quarterly open debate on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, now given greater urgency by the Hamas attacks of 7 October and the deepening humanitarian crisis as the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip continues. The UN chief said the situation "is growing more dire by the hour", repeating his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Here are some of the main highlights of the day...
Twenty-three years after a landmark UN Security Council agreement focusing on women, peace and security, women and girls continue to bear the brunt of conflicts and remain under-represented in decisions concerning their needs and rights.
Tuesday’s annual observance marking the official creation of the United Nations was overshadowed by the rising toll of suffering and sacrifice in Gaza, where 35 staff members with Palestine refugee agency UNRWA have now lost their lives.
The security situation continues to deteriorate in Haiti as gang violence grows, and elections are crucial for the sustainable rule of law, the UN Special Representative in the country, María Isabel Salvador, told the Security Council on Monday.
Recent developments in Kosovo highlight ongoing security challenges and political tensions in the region, highlighting the need for effective dialogue and cooperation, the UN envoy for the country said on Monday.
The number of people killed in Gaza has reached 5,087 according to latest reports from de facto authorities there, amid intensifying Israeli airstrikes in response to Hamas attacks, while humanitarians repeated urgent calls for a ceasefire and more aid convoys.
Mali must ensure that the UN Mission in the country, MINUSMA, can safely complete its drawdown by the end of the year, amid insecurity in the north and other restrictions.
The UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, will run out of fuel in three days, putting humanitarian response in Gaza at risk, Director-General Philippe Lazzarini warned on Sunday.
More aid arrived in Gaza on Sunday aboard 14 trucks that passed through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, the UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator said in a post on social media.
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.
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.
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.
When Russian invaders withdrew in early spring of 2022 from Borodianka, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, a piece of street art by world renowned graffiti artist Banksy appeared on the wall of a war-damaged home.
The first humanitarian convoy into Gaza following two weeks of conflict crossed the border from Egypt on Saturday morning.
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 Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his call for sustained humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza in remarks to the Cairo Summit for Peace on Saturday.
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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.
With essential supplies running out in Gaza, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday appealed for humanitarian access to the besieged enclave.
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.
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?
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,...
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 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.
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 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.
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 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 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.
