UN General Assembly elects 15 new members to Human Rights Council

UN General Assembly elects 15 new members to Human Rights Council

After the ballots were cast and counted, Assembly President Dennis Francis announced Albania, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Malawi, and the Netherlands were elected to serve for three years, beginning 1 January 2024. China, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, France, and Malawi were re-elected for their second terms. …

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Middle East crisis: UN engages parties as Security Council meets

Middle East crisis: UN engages parties as Security Council meets

As the 15-member Council prepared to meet, UN agencies were reporting that hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured following the early Saturday morning rocket fire into Israel by Palestinian militants. The ensuing Israeli response to the Hamas attacks included airstrikes in Gaza, where the UN agency operating there, UNRWA, had reported massive…

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Security Council authorizes ‘historic’ support mission in Haiti

Security Council authorizes ‘historic’ support mission in Haiti

The mission was requested by the Haitian Government and civil society representatives, following months of chaos and steadily worsening conditions affecting civilians. There have been more than 3,000 homicides reported this year, and over 1,500 instances of kidnapping for ransom. Around 200,000 have been forced to flee their homes while sexual violence and abuse against…

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‘You can’t even face your own parents’, cyberbullying victim tells Human Rights Council

‘You can’t even face your own parents’, cyberbullying victim tells Human Rights Council

According to findings from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 130 million students worldwide experience bullying, which has been exacerbated by the spread of digital technologies. UNICEF estimates that one in every three students from 13 to 15 is a victim.  Suicide risk The Council heard heartfelt testimony from 15-year-old Santa Rose Mary, a children’s advocate…

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European Council President says it’s time to put multilateralism back solid ground

European Council President says it’s time to put multilateralism back solid ground

“Today, the United Nations system is sclerotic and hobbled by hostile forces. We must assume our responsibility. That means being engaged to put multilateral cooperation back on solid ground. For that, we need to: Restore trust. Resolve the most pressing problems. Repair the United Nations system.  Protecting the Charter  Trust and confidence between Member States…

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‘Humankind no longer pins its hopes on the UN,’ Zelenskyy tells Security Council

‘Humankind no longer pins its hopes on the UN,’ Zelenskyy tells Security Council

“Regardless of who you are, the current UN system still makes you less influential than the veto power possessed by a few and misused by one: Russia. That is to the detriment of all other UN Members,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.  Viable reform process  World leaders and Foreign Ministers attending the annual debate…

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Security Council hears of ‘unimaginable suffering’ of Ukrainian people, 18 months into war

Security Council hears of ‘unimaginable suffering’ of Ukrainian people, 18 months into war

Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, was briefing a meeting of the Security Council, which also coincided with the 32nd anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. “I would like to congratulate the Ukrainian people today and take this occasion to stress, once again, that the UN’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity…

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Armenia-Azerbaijan: Crucial to have ‘unimpeded passage’ of aid through Lachin Corridor, Security Council hears

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Crucial to have ‘unimpeded passage’ of aid through Lachin Corridor, Security Council hears

Delivering a briefing on the latest situation there, the Director of Operations and Advocacy for humanitarian affairs coordination office, OCHA, made clear that the UN was unable to independently verify information on the movement of people and goods along the corridor “or on the well-being of civilians in the areas where Russian peacekeepers have been…

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Niger: Security Council strongly condemns ‘efforts to unconstitutionally change’ Government

Niger: Security Council strongly condemns ‘efforts to unconstitutionally change’ Government

The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the efforts to unconstitutionally change the legitimate government of the Republic of Niger on 26 July 2023.  Earlier this week, the demand to release the President of Niger was voiced by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Late on Wednesday, a group of Nigerien military officers made a television…

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