The so-called elections held by Russia in occupied areas of Ukraine “have no legal grounds”, a senior political affairs official said on Friday, reiterating UN’s commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The so-called elections held by Russia in occupied areas of Ukraine “have no legal grounds”, a senior political affairs official said on Friday, reiterating UN’s commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Violence against children in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has descended to a new low, amid reports that months old twins were found abandoned with explosives strapped to them.
The head of peace operations on Thursday underscored the need for stronger, more consistent and unified support from Member States for the UN to achieve its key peacekeeping goals.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended law enforcement agencies around the world on Thursday stressing that more women in policing will “build a safer future for everyone.”
Amid rising geopolitical tension, Southeast Asia is fulfilling a “vital role in building bridges of understanding” worldwide said the UN chief on Thursday.
The top UN humanitarian official in Ukraine on Wednesday strongly condemned Russian attacks, including on a busy market in the town of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, that reportedly caused dozens of civilian deaths and injuries, including children.
Food assistance to two million people in Afghanistan will have to be cut later this month, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of civilians killed by cluster munitions, according to new data released on Tuesday by the UN-partnered Cluster Munition Monitor (CMC) civil society group.
Justice and accountability for Ukraine’s war victims were among the topics raised by the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine during its latest country visit, which concluded on Monday.
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Haiti is in the grip of “extreme brutality”, with gang-related violence continuing to force thousands from their homes amidst widespread suffering, said the UN’s top humanitarian official there.
Highlighting the “succession of military coups” unfolding across Africa, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday emphasized the need for durable democratic governance and the rule of law.
Council decided to immediately suspend the participation of the Republic of Gabon in all activities of the AU and its Organs and institutions until the restoration of constitutional order in the country, in line with the relevant AU instruments, in particular, the AU Constitutive Act and the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. Council further demanded the immediate restoration of constitutional order through the conduct...
UN Secretary-General António Guterres marked Wednesday’s International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance by condemning the “atrocious crime” and urging all Member States to hold those who perpetrate it accountable.
The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday firmly condemned the on-going coup attempt in Gabon, while acknowledging that “serious infringements of fundamental freedoms” appear to have taken place during elections at the weekend.
The United Nations on Tuesday announced that it has conducted 200 cross-border missions delivering aid into northwest Syria from Türkiye since the devastating earthquakes that struck the two countries in February.
The United Nations on Tuesday called for more global action to end nuclear testing, warning against the danger of “collective suicide”.
Ukrainian children are showing signs of widespread learning loss as Russia’s invasion preceded by the COVID-19 pandemic have left them facing a fourth year of education setbacks, a senior UN children’s agency official said on Tuesday.
A group of UN-appointed human rights experts expressed grave concern on Monday over Russia’s decision to dismiss all legal challenges to the country’s criminalisation of “public actions aimed at discrediting” the Russian Armed Forces.
While its peacekeeping operation in Mali, MINUSMA draws to a close by the end of this year, the UN remains committed to supporting the country’s stability and development, the head of the Mission said on Monday.
Truck drivers in southern Africa who have been recruited to traffic or smuggle people illegally are learning about the risks involved thanks to the UN drugs and crime agency, UNODC.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is closely following developments in Zimbabwe’s elections, his spokesperson said on Sunday.
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ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL KHALED KHIARI’S
REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
NON-PROLIFERATION/DPRK
New York, 25 August 2023
Madam President,
At 3:50 AM local time on 24 August, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted what it described as its “second launch of a military reconnaissance satellite” from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. The launch follows a previous attempt to launch a satellite on 31 May.
According to the DPRK, the launch failed “due to an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight”. Official media said that a third reconnaissance satellite launch would be conducted in October.
While the DPRK issued a pre-launch notification to the Japanese Coast Guard, it did not issue airspace or maritime safety notifications to the International Maritime Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, or the International Telecommunications Union. The DPRK’s unannounced launches represent a serious risk to international civil aviation and maritime traffic.
Madam President,
On 24 August, the Secretary-General strongly condemned this launch of yet another satellite using ballistic missile technology. Any launch by the DPRK using ballistic missile technology is contrary to the relevant Security Council resolutions. He reiterated his call on the DPRK to cease such acts and to swiftly resume dialogue without preconditions to achieve the goal of sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Madam President,
It should be recalled that developing a military reconnaissance satellite was part of the DPRK’s five-year military development plan, unveiled in January 2021. In line with the plan, the DPRK has significantly increased its missile launch activities in 2022 and 2023, including more than 90 launches using ballistic missile technology, in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
Madam President,
As we have previously briefed, there is a need for practical measures to reduce tensions, reverse the dangerous dynamic, and create space to explore diplomatic avenues. I emphasise the importance of re-establishing communication channels, particularly between military entities. Exercising maximum restraint is critical to avoid unintended escalation.
Diplomacy and dialogue - not isolation - is the only way forward.
In this respect, the Secretary-General commends Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States for their continued willingness and offers to engage in dialogue with the DPRK on any issue without preconditions.
Pending the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is imperative that the DPRK maintains the highest level of safety at its nuclear facilities, in order to prevent nuclear accidents that would be disastrous for the region and the world.
Madam President,
The Security Council in its resolution 2397 (2017) reaffirmed its decisions that the DPRK shall suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme, abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner, and immediately cease all related activities. Since our last briefing on 13 July, the DPRK has openly displayed its nuclear-weapon delivery systems during both a weaponry exhibition and a military parade. Such displays undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that underpins it.
Madam President,
I would like to highlight once more our concerns regarding the humanitarian situation in the DPRK, compounded by climate hazards and ongoing border closures. The United Nations is ready to assist the DPRK in addressing the basic needs of its vulnerable populations.
We have been closely following reports of an easing of DPRK border restrictions. Given the progress in vaccines and treatments, and the declaration by the World Health Organization Director-General on 5 May that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, we urge the DPRK to allow the unimpeded re-entry and rotation of the international community, including the United Nations Resident Coordinator and other international UN staff.
A collective return would positively impact international support to the people of DPRK and strengthen communication channels.
Let me close by stressing that unity of the Security Council is essential.
Thank you, Madam President.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said on Friday that the spread of fighting and hunger in Sudan could destroy the country, as the future of a “lost generation” of children lies in the balance.
Despite successful international counter-terrorism initiatives, the extremist group Da’esh and its affiliates continue to pose a serious threat in conflict zones and neighbouring countries, the UN Security Council heard on Friday.
The recent launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) of a satellite posed a major risk to international civil aviation and maritime traffic, a senior UN political affairs official said on Friday, underscoring the need for practical measures to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and create space for dialogue.
