Addressing the Council’s annual debate on resolution 1325, he appealed for countries to “urgently bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality” through concrete action in the areas of participation, financing and leadership. “Of 18 peace agreements reached last year, only one was signed or witnessed by a representative of a women’s group or organization,” he…
On 25 October, the United Nations will mark the adoption in 2000 of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) to improve the protection of women and girls during conflicts, and recognize their leadership and unique roles in peace processes. Today, more than 600 million women and girls live in conflict-affected countries. In 2022, the United Nations verified nearly 2,500…
The Summit, convened by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, took place one day after the UN chief travelled to the Rafah border crossing in north Sinai, the sole border crossing open with Gaza. “There I saw a paradox — a humanitarian catastrophe playing out in real time,” he said, noting that hundreds of trucks “teeming…
Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, told ambassadors at the Security Council, that this weekend, in southern Colombia, land purchased by the Government was handed over to some 500 beneficiaries, among them former FARC-EP combatants, peasants and members of the indigenous communities. “Hopeful moments such as these are an increasingly common occurrence today,…
“I think what is absolutely clear is that the women of Iran have been a source of inspiration for the world. We’ve seen their courage and determination in the face of reprisals, intimidation, violence and detention,” Spokesperson Liz Throssell told journalists in Geneva. “This courage, this determination, have been remarkable. They’ve been harassed for what…
“Such a peace will go a long way in ending Arab-Israeli conflict and will encourage other Arab States to normalize their relations with Israel,” he said, adding that it will also enhance prospects of peace with the Palestinians. The agreement, he emphasized will “encourage a broader reconciliation between Judaism and Islam, between Jerusalem and Mecca,…
The Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace aims to address these complex challenges through multilateralism, rooted in the UN Charter and international law, centred on trust, solidarity, and universality. It comes amid criticism from some Member States that the UN is no longer playing an effective role in peacebuilding and peacekeeping, as calls for overall reform…
“People and our planet are in crisis”, the UN chief said, highlighting how conflicts continue to drive the vulnerable from their homes, while heatwaves and floods claim lives and division prevails. ‘Leave no one behind’ This year’s Peace Day coincides with the halfway point on the road to the Sustainable Development Goals, and the UN’s…
Ongoing peace talks provide a glimpse of hope that a political resolution to the conflict is on the horizon. However, on International Day of Peace, celebrated annually on 21 September, humanitarian needs remain staggering and the funding to respond insufficient, as recently highlighted by almost 100 aid agencies. Six months on from the last UN pledging conference…
Peace remains elusive despite compromises by the Yemeni government and welcome support from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman, as well as the UN, to end years of strife in the country, President Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi told the high-level debate at the UN General Assembly. “We hope that the Houthi militias will recognize a…
