This was the Council’s first explicit call for an immediate ceasefire since Israel began a military offensive in the Gaza Strip following last October’s brutal attack by Hamas and other Palestinian groups against settlements in southern Israel, in which over 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage. Israel’s military operation has since…
Briefing ambassadors at the UN Security Council, Geir Pedersen said that recent spike in violence, including airstrikes, rocket attacks and clashes between armed groups, underscored the urgent need for a political resolution. In addition, protests continue in some regions over unaddressed grievances and the presence of six foreign armies in the country are raising fears…
The Conference, which was established with the primary goal of fostering cooperation for mutual disarmament, has faced significant challenges in recent times. “Something looks wrong if a disarmament conference leads to no meaningful disarmament, year after year,” Secretary-General António Guterres said. “Humanity needs the Conference on Disarmament to work successfully. The paralysis and deadlock that…
Briefing the UN Security Council in New York, Geir Pedersen urged political leaders and the international community to act now to “arrest the downward slide in Syria” as suffering and the sense of hopelessness among the population deepens. Deliver hope “We cannot simply accept the status quo, because it will get worse and worse, it…
